The supplycacyon of soulys made by syr Thomas More knyght councellour to our souerayn lorde the Kynge and chauncellour of hys Duchy of Lancaster. Agaynst the supplycacyon of beggars

¶To all good Crysten people.

IN most pytuouse wyse cōtinually calleth & cryeth vppon your deuout cherite & moste tēder pyte / for helpe cūfort & relyefe / your late aquayntaūce / kin¦dred / spouses / cōpanions / play felowes / & frēd{is} / & now your humble & vnacquaynted & halfe forgo¦tē supplyaūtys / pore prysoners of god y^• sely sow∣lys in purgatory / here abydyng & enduryng y^• gre∣uouse paynys & hote clēsynge fyre / y^• freteth & burneth owte y^e rustye & fylthy spott{is} of our synne / tyll y^• mercy of almighty god y^• rather by your good & cherytable meanes / vowchesaufe to delyuer vs hense.

¶From whēse yf ye meruayll why we more now moleste and trou¦ble you wyth our wrytyng then euer we were wonte byfore: yt may lyke you to wyt and vnderstand / that hytherto / though we haue bene wyth many folke mych forgoten of neglygēce / yet hath alway good folke remembred vs / and we haue bene recommended vnto god and eased / holpen / and relieued / both by the pryuate prayers of good ver¦tuouse people / and specyally by the dayly masses & other gostely suf∣frages of prestys / relygyouse / and folke of holy churche. But now syth that of late there are sprong•• vp certayne sedycyouse persones / whych not onely trauayle and labour to dystroy them by whome we be mych holpen / but also to sowe and sette forth such a pestylent opy∣nyon agaynst our selfe / as ones receyued and byleued among y^• peo∣ple / must nedys take frome vs the relyefe & cūforte that euer shuld come to vs by the cherytable almesse / prayour / and good wurkes of the world: ye may take yt for no wonder though we sely sowlys that haue longe lyen and cryed so farre frome you that we seldome brake your slepe / do now in thys oure great fere of our vtter losse for euer of your louyng remembraunce and relyefe / not yet importunatly by∣••eue you of your reste wyth cryenge at your eares at vnseasonable tyme when ye wold (as we do neuer) repose your self and take ease / but onely procure to be presented vnto you thys pore boke thys hum¦ble supplycacyon of owrs / whyche yt may please you {per}cell meale at your leysure to loke ouer for all sely sowlys sake: that yt may be as an holsome tryacle at your harte agaynst the dedely poyson of theyre pestylent {per}suasyon / that wold bryng you in that errour to wene there were no purgatory. Of all whych cruell persones so procuring not y^• mynysshement of your mercy toward vs / but the vtter spoyle & rob∣bery of our hole helpe and comforte that shuld come from you: y^e ve∣ry wurste and thereby the moste dedely deuysour of our paynys and heuynes (god forgeue hym) ys that dyspytuouse & dyspytefull per∣son / which of late vnder pretexte of pyte / made and put forth among

you / a boke that he namyd the supplycacyon for the beggars / a booke indede nothynge lesse intendyng / then the pyte that yt pretendeth: no∣thyng myndyng y^• weale of eny mā / but as we shall hereafter shew you / mych harme and myschyefe to all men / and among other great sorow dyscūfort and heuenysse vnto vs your euen crysten and nygh kynne / your late neyghbours and plesaunt companyōs vppon erth / and now pore prysoners here.

¶And albe yt y^t hys vnhappy boke / doth for our owne {per}te towche vs very nere: yet we be mych more moued to geue y^• world warnyng of hys venymous wrytynge / for the dere loue & cheryte that we bere to you / then for the respecte of our owne relyefe. For as for vs / albe¦yt that the gracyouse helpe of your pryour / almesse dede / and other good warkis for vs / may be the meanes of relyeuyng and releasyng of our presēt paynis / yet such ys the mercyfull goodnes of god / that though the hole world wold clene forgete vs / yet wold his mercy so remember vs / that after temporall punysshement and purgyng here he wyll not fynally forgete to take vs hense: and wypyng all y^• terys owt of our eyē / translate vs at sondry tymes as hys hygh wysedom see••h conuenyent / in to that eternal heuenly blesse / to whych his holy blyssyd blood hath bought vs. But surely to you worldly people ly∣uynge there vppon erth / not onely for this present tyme / but also for as longe as thys world shall endure: the wreched maker of that vn∣gracyouse boke (whome god giue onys the grace to repēte & amend) yf folke were so fonde to folowe hym / shulde not fayle to worke / as well myche worldely trouble to euery kynde of people / as ouer that (whych most losse were of all) to brynge many a good symple soule / for lakke of belefe of purgatory / the very strayght way to hell.

¶And the case so standynge / there wold we thynke no man dowte / but thoughe the man that made the boke were well knowen amonge you and in holde also / whereby hys heyghnouse treason to god and y^• world dysclosed & declared by vs / he myght be in parell of exquy∣syte paynefull punysshement: yet we both myght and ought / rather to put hym in the daunger of hys awne demeanure / then for the spa∣ryng of hys iuste correccyon / to suffer hym abuse y^• people wyth hys pestylent wrytynge / to the inestymable harme of the hole worlde in goodys / body / & sowle. And syth we so myght of reason / & so shuld of cheryte though the man were knowen and taken / how myche may we nowe more frankely tell you all and nothynge shall nede to spare hym / syth hys boke ys nameles / & so hym self among you vnknowē and therby owte of the parell of eny punysshement for hys vnhappy dede?

¶But for that both ye & he shall well perceyue / that we desyre but your weale and ours by gyuyng you warnynge of hys malyce / and

nothyng entend to procure hys punysshement / whyche we rather be∣seche our lord of hys mercy to remytte: ye shall vnderstand that ney∣ther ys his name nor persone vnknowen among vs / and therfore we∣might well discouer hym yf we were so mynded. For there is not onely some of hys acquayntaūce and counseyll / whome god gaue at theyre deth the grace to repente / comen hyther to purgatory / nothyng more now lamentyng among vs / then theyre cruell vnkyndenesse to¦ward vs / in geuyng counseyll agaynst vs / to the makyng of that vn¦gracyouse boke / wyth infydelyte and lakke of bylyefe of the pour∣gyng fyre whych they now fynde and fele: but he ys also named and bosted among vs by that euell aungell of hys / owre and your goste∣ly enemy the deuyll. whych as sone as he had set hym a wurke wyth that pernycyouse boke / ceaced not to come hyther and boste yt among vs: but wyth his enmyouse & enuoyuse laughter gnasshyng the teeth and grynnynge / he tolde vs that hys peopyll had by the aduyse and coūsayll of hym and of some heretyques almost as euill as he / made suche a boke for beggars / that yt shuld make vs begge longe are we gete aught. wherby he trusted that som of vs shuld not so sone crepe owte of our payne as we had hoped.

¶Wytte ye well these wordes were heuy tidyng{is} to vs. But yet by¦cause y^• deuyll ys wonte to ly / we toke some comfort in that we could not belyue hym / specyally tellynge a thynge so farre incredyble. For who could euer haue thought that eny crysten man could for very py¦te haue founden in hys harte to seke and study the meanes / whereby a crysten man shuld thynke yt labour loste to pray for all crystē sow¦lys. But alakke the whyle we foūde sone after / that the falshed and malyce of the man / preued y^• dyuyll trewe. For by some that dyed sone after the boke put forth / we haue herde & perceyued the wreched contentys therof / well and playnely declarynge / what euyll spyryte inspyred hym whyle yt was in makynge. For albe yt that yt ys so con¦tryued / and the wordys so cowched / that by the secrete inwarde wur∣kynge of the deuyll that holpe to dyuyse yt / a symple reder myght by delyte in the redyng be dedely corrupted and venemed: yet yf a wyse man well warned / aduysedly wyll way the sentence / he shall fynde the hole boke nothyng elles / but falshed vnder pretext of playnesse / crueltye vnder the cloke of pyte / sedycyon vnder the colour of coun∣sayle / prowde arrogās vnder y^• name of supplycacyō / & vnder y^• pre∣tēce of fauour vnto pore folke / a deuyl she desyre of noyaūce both to pore & rich / preste / religiouse / & say mā / prynce / lord / & peple / as well quycke as dede.

¶He deuyseth a pytuouse byll of complaynte and supplycacyon / fayned to be by the pore sykke and sore beggers put vpp to the kyng / lamentyng theryn theyre nomber so sore encreaced / that good folkes

almoyse not half suffysyng to fynde them mete / they be constraynyd heuely to dye for hunger. Then layth he y^• cause of all these pore beg¦gars / both theyr encrese in nomber & theyr defaut in fyndyng / all this he layth to the onely faut of the clergy: namyng them in hys bederoll byshops / abbot{is} / pryours / deacons / archedecōs / suffragans / prest{is} / monkys / chanons / frerys / {per}doners / & sōmoners. All these he calleth myghty sturdy beggars & ydle holy theuys / whych he sayth hath beg¦gyd so importunatly / that they haue gotten in to theyr handys y^• thyrd parte of all the realm of Englond / besyde tythys / preuy tythys / pro∣batys of testament{is} & offryng{is} / wyth masse pens & mortuaryes / blys¦syng & cursyng / cytyng / suspendyng & soylyng. Then cūmeth he per¦tyculerly to freres: to whom he maketh as he thynketh a playn & opē rekenyng / that they reseyue by beggyng thorow y^e realm yerely .xliii. thousand .iii.Cxxxiii. pound .vi.s.viii.d. sterlyng. Then shewyth he that all thys cast to gyther / amounteth yerely farre aboue the half of the hole substaūce of the realme. After this presupposyng as though he had prouyd yt that the clergy hath the half / he thē to proue the two hundred parte of that they haue were more then suffycyent for them: taketh for hys ground that yf the nomber of them be compared wyth the nomber of lay men / the clergy be not y^e hundreth parte: & y^• yf they be cōpared wyth the lay men women & children / the clergy vs not thē the foure hūdred {per}son of that nomber. And then entendyth he therby to proue & conclude / that syth they haue as he sayth more then the half of all to gether / & be them self•• not fully the foure hundred parte: ther¦fore if that better half that they haue were deuyded into two hūdreth part{is} / then were yet one parte of those two hundreth {per}tys as he thyn¦keth to mych for them / specyally because they labour not. After thys he gathereth a great hepe of euyls / wherwyth he belyeth the clergy / to bryng them in dyspleasure of the kynge and hatered of the people. And leste men shuld eny thyng esteeme the clergye for the suffragys of theyre pr••youre in relyefe of vs sely crysten sowlys in purgatory / to take a way that good mynde oute of good crysten mennys hartes / he laboreth to make the worlde wene that there were no purgatorye at all. Wherein when he hathe done what he canne / then laboureth he to the kynge for a lycence to rayle vppon the clergye: sayeng that there ys none other effectuall remedye agaynste theym / but that yt myght please the kynge to gyue hym and suche other fre lycense and lyberte / to dyffame the clergy at theyr pleasure amonge the people. For he sayth that yf any of them be punyshed any thyng by the tempo¦rall lawes / than they sore troble the laborers therof by the spyrytuall law / and then the heddys of the clergy do so hyghly more than recom¦pence the losse of theyre felows / that they may be bolde to do the lyke offēce agayn at theyr pleasure. And for to proue that yt ys alway so /

he layth that yt hath bene so thryfe: and as yt shall after be shewed he lyeth in all thre. The furste he layth that the byshop of London was in a grete rage for endyghtynge of certayn curatys of extorcyon and incontynency the last yere in the wardmote questis. And for the secōd he laith that doctour Aleyn after that he was punished by premunire for his cōtempt commytted agaynst the kyngys temporall law / was therfore by the byshoppys hyghly recōpēsed in benefyces. And for y^• third he layth that Richard Hunne because he had sued a premunire agaynst a preest for suyng hym in y^• spyrytuall court in a mater deter¦mynable in the kyngys court / was accused of heresy and commytted to byshoppys prysō: where he sayth that all the world knowyth that he was murtheryd by doctour Horsey wyth his complyces then the byshoppys chauncellour. And that y^• same doctour Horsey he sayth vppon other mennys mouthis payed .vi. hundred poūdes for hym & hys complyces: & after obteyned the kyngys most gracyous pardon. Wheruppō he sayth the captayns of the spyrytualte because he had faughten so manfully agaynst the kyng{is} crown and dygnyte / promo¦tyd hym forth wyth benefyce vppō benefyce to the valew of .iiii. ty∣mes as myche. And by these ensaumples he cōcludyth there wyll no such punyshment serue agaynst the spyritualte: and also who y^• iustly punysh a preest by the temporall law / ys vniustly trobled agayn in y^• spyrytuall law. Wherof he wold include that of necessyte for a specy¦all remedy / the kyng must nedis graūt a sicence to such lewd felows to ••ayle vppon thē. Thā cometh he at laste vnto the deuyce of some remedy for the pore beggars. Wherin he wold in no wyse haue none hospytals made / because he sayth that therin the profyte goeth to the prestys. What remedy than for the pore beggars. He deuysyth nor desyreth nothynge to be geuen them / nor none other almoyse or helpe requyreth for thē: but onely that y^• kyngis hyghnes would furst take frome the hole clergye all theyre hole lyuynge / and then sette theym abrode in the worlde to gette theym wyues / and to get theyre lyuyng wyth y^• labour of theyr handys and in the swete of theyr facys / as he sayeth yt ys the cōmaundement of god in the furst chapiter of Gene¦sis: and fynally to tay them to the car••es to be whyppyd naked about euery market towne tyll they fall to labour. And then yf these petyci¦ons were onys arauntyd and parformyd / he sheweth many great cō¦modytees that wold as he sayth ensue theruppō / both to the kynge & the people / and to the pore beggars. Which thyngys we shall ere we leue / in such wyse repete and ponder / that your wysdoms may consy¦der and parceiue in your self / what good frute wold folow the spede of hys goodly supplycacion / whereof we haue rehersed you the hole some and effect.

¶Trewthe yt ys y^• many thyngys wherewyth he florysheth hys

maters to make thē seme gay to the reders at a sodayn shew / we leue out for the while / because we wold ere we come therto / that ye shuld furst haue the mater self in short set forthe before your eyen. And thā shall we peruse hys prouys / and in such wyse consyder euery thynge aparte / that we nothyng dout but who so shall rede hys worshypfull wrytyng after / shall sone parceyue therin / floryshyng without frute / futtelte wythout substaūce / rethoryk wythout reasō / bolde babelyng wythout lernyng / & wylynes wythout wyt. And fynally for y^• foun∣dacyon and ground of all hys prouys: ye shall fynde in hys boke not half so many leuys as lyes / but almost as many lyes as lynes.

¶And albe yt we lye here in that case that about thexamynacyō and answeryng of such a mad malycyouse boke we haue neyther lust nor leysoure to bestow the tyme / wherof mispēt in our lyfe we geue now an hard and a heuy rekenynge: yet not only the necessyte of our cause dryueth vs to declare vnto you the feblenes of hys reasons / where∣wyth he wold bryng you in the case to care nothyng for vs / beleuyng y^t there were no purgatory / but also most specyally dothe our charite towarde you / styrre vs to shew you the myschefe that he myndeth to your self / aswell in that poynt of infidelyte / as in all the remnaunt of hys sedicyouse boke. In answeryng wherof we wold gladly let hys foly and lak of lernyng passe / yf yt were not more thā necessary / that all folk shuld parceyue hys lyttell lernyng and lesse wyt / lest symple folk wenyng hym wyse and well lernyd / myght vnto theyr harm es∣teme hys euyll wrytyng the better for theyr wronge opynyon of hys wyt and lernyng. As for hys malycyouse mynde and vntreuth / there can no man loke that we shuld leue vnto wchyd / but he that wold ra∣ther the man were beleued than answeryd / and wold wysh hys byll sped were yt neuer so malycyouse and false.

¶For where he to deuyseth hys introduccyon / as all hys purpose shuld haue a great face of charyte / by that he speketh all in the name of the pore beggars / thys ys nothyng els but the deuyls dryft / al∣way coueryng hys poyson vnder some tast of suger. As for vs we truste there wyll no wyse mā doute what fauour we bere to beggers as folk of theyr own felyshyp and faculte / and of all whom / there be no where in the world nether so nedy nor so sore / and so syk nor so im∣potent / and so sore in paynes as we. And that so farforth that yf ye myght se them all on the tone syde / and but one of vs on the tother syde / we be very sure that the world wolde pyte one of vs / more thā them all. But although we be more beggars then your beggers be / as folk dayly beggyng our almes of you and them both: yet ēuy we not them as one of them dothe a nother / but we pray and require you to gyue them for our sakes / wherby your gyft gretly cumfortyth vs both. And they be also our proctours and beg in our name / and in our

name receaue your money / wherof we receyue both your deuocyon and theyr prayours. So y^t ye may be well assured / there coud be put no byll nor supplycacyon forth for theyr aduaūtage / whych we wold in eny wyse hynder / but very gladly forther in all y^• euer we myghte. But in good fayth as our pore brethern the beggars be for many cau¦ses greatly to be pytyed for theyr dysease and syknes / sorow / payn & pouerte: so do we mych in thys case sorow theyre myshap / that they haue nott had at the leste wyse so muche fortune / as to fall vppon a wyser scryuener to make theyr supplycacyon: but vppon such a one as vnder hys great wylynes sheweth so lyttell wyt / that begynnyng wyth a cloke of charyte / doth by and by no lesse dysclose hys hatered and malice / than yf be nothyng els had entēded / but to cast of y^t cloke and set out hys malyce naked to the shew. Whyrin lyke a beggars {pro}c¦tour he goeth forth so nakedly / y^t no begger ys there so bare of cloth or money / as he sheweth hym selfe bare of faythe / lernynge / trouth / wyt or charite. Whych thyng as it all redy well appereth to wyse mē: so wyll we make yt euydent to all men / takyng our bygynnynge at the declaracyon of hys vntrewth: whych one thyng well perceyued / w••ll be suffycyent to answer and ouertorne all hys hole enterpryse. How be yt we nether shall nede nor do purpose to cūber you wyth rehersall and reprofe of all hys lyes: for that were to long a work / wherof we fere ye shuld be wery to abyde the heryng. But of so ma¦ny we shall pray you take pacyence whyle we shewe you some / and such as for the matter be requysyte to be knowen / for as much as all hys proues be specyally grounded vppon them.

¶And furst to begyn where he begynneth / whē he sayth that the nō¦ber of such beggars as he pretendeth to speke for / that is as hym self calleth them the wretched hyduouse monsters / on whō he sayth scar∣cely eny eye dare loke / the foule vnhappy sort of lepers & other sore people / nedy / impotēt / blynde / lame and syh / lyuyng onely of almes: haue theyre numbere nowe so sore encreased / that all the almoyse of all the well dysposed people of the realme ys nott halfe inowghe to sustayne theym / but that for very constraynte they dye for hunger: vnto all those wordys of hys / were yt not that though we well wyst our self he sayd vntrew / yet wold we be lothe so to lay as a lye to his charge eny thyng / wherof the vntrewth were not so playnly parcey∣ued / but that he myghte fynde some fauourers whych myghte say he sayd trew: els wold we paraduēture not let to tell hym / that for a by∣gynnyng in these few wordes he had wrytten two lyes at onys. If we shuld tell you what nōber ther was of pore syk folke in days pas¦sed iōg before your tyme: ye were at lyberte not to beleue vs. How be yt he cānot not yet on y^• tother syde for hys part nether / bryng you forth a bederoll of theyr namys: wherfore we must for bothe our {per}t{is}

be fayn to remyt you to your owne tyme / & yet not frō your chyldhed (whereof many thynges men forget when they come to farr greater age) but vnto the days of your good remēbraunce. And so doyng / we suppose yf the sory syghtys y^t mē haue sene / had left as gret impressy¦on styll remaynyng in theyr hartys / as the syght maketh of the presēt sorow that they se: men shuld thynk & say y^t they haue in days passed sene as many sykke beggers as they se now. For as for other syknes they rayn not god be thanked but after such rate as they haue done in tymes passed. And thē of the frēch pokkys .xxx. yere ago went there about syk / fyue agaynst one y^t beggeth wyth them now. Wherof who so lyst to say that he seeth it otherwyse: we wyll hold no great dyspy¦cyons wyth hym theruppon / because we lakke the namys of both the sydes to make the tryall wyth. But surely who so shall say the cōtra¦ry: shall as we suppose eyther saye so for his pleasure / or els shall it fare by his sight as folkis fare with theyr felyng / which what they fele they whyne at / but what they haue felt the•• haue more then half forgotten / though they felt it ryght late. Whych maketh one that hath but a pore boyle vppon hys fynger / thynk the grefe more great / than was the payne of a great boch that greued hys hole hād lyttell more than a moneth a fore. So that in thys poynt of the nomber of syk beg¦gers so sore encreased so late / albeit we wyll forbere so to say to hym as we mighte well say: yet will we be so bolde to denye it hym till he bryng in some better thyng than hys bare word for the profe.

¶And in good faith if he be put to the profe of the tother poynt also / that is to wyt that for very constraynt those pore syk folk dye for hū∣ger: we verely trust & think he shall seke farr and fynde very few yf he fynde any at all: For albeit that pore householders haue these d••••e yeres made ryght hard shyft for corne: yet our lorde be thanked men haue not bene so farr from all pyte / as to suffer pore impotēt parsons dye at theyr doorys for hunger.

¶Now where as he sayth that the almes of all well disposed peple of thys reame is not half inough to sustayn them / and the well dyspo¦sed people he calleth in this matter all thē that gyueth them almoyse / & he speketh not of one yere nor twayn but of these many yerys now passed / for neyther be the nomber of the clergy nor theyr possessyons nor the freres almes in whych thyng{is} he layeth the cause why the al∣mes of good people ys not half suffycyent to kepe & sustayn the pore and syk beggers fro famyshyng / any great thynge encreased in these x. or .xii. or .xx. yeres last passed / & therfore yf that he sayd were trew: then by all these .x. yeres at the lest / the almoyse of good people hath not bene half able to susteyn the pore & syk beggers frō famyshynge. And surely yf that were so that in .iiii. or .v. yerys in which was plenty of corne / the pore & syk beggars for lak of mennys almes died so fast

for hūger: thogh many shuld fall sik neuer so fast again / yet had they in y^• laste .ii. dere yerys dyed vp of lyklyhod almost euerychone. And whether thys be trew or not we purpose not to dyspute: but to referr and report our self to euery mānys eyen and eares / whether any mā here of so many dede / or se so many the fewer.

¶When he hath layd these sure stonys to begyn the ground & foun∣dacyon of hys byldyng wyth / that sore and syk beggars be so sore en∣creasyd / that the almesse of all the good people of thys realme is not half inough to sustayn thē / and that therfore by very constraynt they dayly dye for hunger: vppon them he layeth a nother stone / that the cause of all thys euyll is the great possessyōs of the spyrtualte / and the great almys gyuen to the frerys. But herein furst he layth that besydys tythes and all such other profett{is} as ryse vnto the chyrh by reason of the spyrytuall law or of mennys deuocyon / that they haue the thyrd parte of all the temporall landes of the realme. Whych who so can tell as much of the reuenews of the realme as he can tell lytell that made the booke / doth well know that though they haue mych: yet is the thyrd part of all farre an other thing / & y^• he sayth in thys poynt vn••r••w. Than goeth he to the pore frerys. And there as we told you he shewyth that y^• almes geuen them / of certeynte amounteth yerely vnto .x.iii. thousand .CCC.xxxiii.li. vis .s.viii.d. sterlyng: paraduen¦ture men wold wene the man were some apostata / and that he neuer coud be so pryuy to the frerys reconyng / but if he had bene long their lymytour / and sene some generall vyew of all theyr hole accountys. But surely syth the man is bad inough besyde / we wold be loth folk shuld rekē hym for apostata / for surely he was neuer frere for aught tha. we know / for we neuer wyst that euer in hys lyfe he was half so well dysposed. And also when ye here the groūd of hys reconyng: ye well your self thynk that he nether knoweth mych of theyr maters / & of all the realme besyde make as though he knew many thyngys for trew / which many men know for fals. ¶For furst he putteth for the groūde of hys rekenyng that there are in the realme / twoo and fyfty thousāde parysh churches / whych ys one playne lye to begynne with Then he putteth y^t euery paryshe one wyth a nother / hath ten howse holdes in yt: meanynge besyde suche pore howses as rather aske al∣mes thē gyue / for of such ye wot well y^• frerys get no quarterag. & y^• poynte albe yt the grounde be not sure / yet bycause yt may to many men seme lykely / therfore we lette yt passe. But then he sheweth fer¦ther for a sure trouth a thynge that all men knowe surely for a great lye: that ys to say that of euery howsholde in euery paryshe / euery of y^• fyue ordres of freres hath euery quarter a peny: for we knowe full well & so do many of you to / fyrst y^t the comen people speke but of .iiii. ordres / the whyte / the blakke / the austayne / and the grey / and whych

ys the fyft in many partes of the realme fewe folke can tell you. For yf the questyone were asked abowte / there wolde be peraduenture founden many mo the more pyte it is / that coulde name you the grene freris then the crowched. ye know ryght well also that in many a pa∣ryshe in england / of fourty howseholders ye shall not fynde fowre pay neyther .v. pēse a quarter nor .iiii. nother / and many a parysshe ne∣uer a peny. And as for the .v.d. quarterly / we dare boldely say that ye shall fynde yt payed in very fewe paryshes thorow the realme / yf ye fynde yt payed in any. And yet this thynge beynge suche a starke lye as many men all redy knoweth / & euery man shortely may fynde it / he putteth as a playne well knowen trouth for a specyall poste to bere vpp his rekenynge. For vppon these growndes now maketh he a clere rekenynge in this maner ensuynge / whyche is good also to be known for folke that wyll lern to cast acōpt. Ther be .lii.M. {per}yshes and in eche of them .x. howsholdes So haue ye the hole some of the howsholdes .v. hondred thowsand and twenty thowsande. Euen iust Go nowe to the money then. Euery order of the .v. orders of freres hathe of euery of these howsholdes a peny a quarter Sūma for eue∣ry howse amonge all the .v. orders euery quarter .v. d. & here by may ye lerne that fyue tymes one maketh .v. Nowe this is he sheweth you amonge the .v. orders of euery howse for the hole yere .xx.d. and so lerne ye there that .iiii. tymes fyue maketh .xx. Sūma sayth he .v. hondreth thowsande and .xx. thousande quarters of angelles. Here we woulde not that bycause the realme hath no coyne called the quar¦ter aungell / ye shulde therfore so farre mystake the man as to wene that he ment so many quarter sackes of aungels. For in dede (as we take hym) by the namynge and comptyng of so many quarters of aū¦gels / he meneth nothynge elles but to teche you a poynt of rekenyng and to make you perceyue and knowe / that .xx.d. is the fourth parte of .vi.s.viii.d. For after that ra••e it semeth that he valueth the aūgell noble. Then goeth he forthe with his rekenyng & sheweth you that fyue hundred thowsand and .xx. thowsand quarters of aungels / ma∣keth .ii. hundred thre score thowsand halfe aungellys. And by thys so ye may perceyue clerely / that he ment not quarter sackes of aungels for then they woulde haue holden ye wote well many moo pecys of fourty pence / then fourty tymes thys hole some commeth to. Then he sheweth you ferther that .CC.lx. thowsand halfe aungellys / a∣mounte iust vnto .C.xxx. thowsand aūgels. wheryn euery man may lerne that the halfe of .lx. ys .xxx. and that the half of twayne ys one. Fynally then he casteth yt all to gyther and bryngeth yt in to poūdes Sūma totalis .xliii. thowsand poūd{is} .iii. hūdred & .xxxiii.li.vi.s.viii.d But here to contynewe the playnesse of hys rekenynge / he forgote to tell you y^t .iii. nobles make .xx.s. & that .xx.s. make a poūd But who

can now dowte of thys rekenynge whan yt cometh so rounde / that of so great a sōme he leueth not out y^• ode noble But now syth all thys rek••nynge ys grounded vppon two false groundes / one vppon .lii. thowsande paryshe churches: the other that euery of the fyue orders hath euery quarter of euery howshold a peny: thys rekenyng of .xliii. thowsād CCC.xxx.ii.li.vi.s.viii.d. semeth to cōe mych lyke to pas as yf he wold make a rekening wyth you y^• euery asse hath .viii. eares And for to proue yt wyth / bere you furst in hande that euery asse hath fowre heddes / and then make summa .iiii. heddes. Thene myght he boldely tell you ferther / that euery asse hed hathe two eares / for that ys comenly trew excepte any be cutte of. Sūma then .ii. eares and so summa totalis eyght eares. At thys accompte of eyght eares of one a ••e ye make a lyppe and thynke yt so madde that no man wold make no suche. Surely yt were a madde compt yn dede / and yet as mad as yt were / yt were not so madde by halfe as ys hys sadde and ereneste compt that he maketh you now so solempnely of the frerys quartera∣ge. For thys shu••d he groūd but vpon one lye / where he grounddih y^• tother vpon twayne as open lyes as thys & as greate. Now myght we and we wold) say that all hys rekenynge were naught / bycause he rekeneh .xx.d. for the quarter of the aungell / and all the remenaūt of hys rekenyng foloweth forth vpon the same rate. But we wolde be lothe to put hym in the fawlte that he deserue not. For surely yt myght he that he was not ware of the new valuacyon: for he ranne awaye byfore the valuacyon chaūged? But now vpon thys greate some of .xliii. thusād .CCC.xxxiii.li.vi.s.viii.d. vpon these good ground•• heped vp to gether he bryngeth in hys ragmānes roll of his rude r••tory••u•• agaynst the pore freres / begynnyng wyth such a gret exclamacyon that we herde hym hyther / & sodaynly were all afrayed whē we herd hi cry out so loude / Oh greuous & paynfull exaccyōs: thus yerely to be payed / frome the whyche the people of your noble {pro}genytours auncyent Brytons euer stode fre. And so goeth he forth agaynst the pore freres wyth Danes / and Saxons / and noble kyng A••••••ure / and Lucius the emperoure / the Romaynes / the Grekys / & the greate Turke / shewynge that all these had ben vtterly marred & neuer had ben able to do nothynge yn the warre / yf theyr people had gyuen theyre almoyse to freres.

¶After hys raylyng re••oryque ended agaynst the freres / then thys some of .xliii. thowsād .CCC.xxxiii.li.vi.s.viii.d. he addeth vnto all y^• tother that he sayd byfore that all the clergye hath besyde whych he sūmeth not but sayth that thys and that to gyther amounte vnto more bytwene theym then halfe of the hole substaunce of the realme. And thys he affirmeth as boldylylas though he could reken the hole reue∣news and substaunce of all england / as redely as make the rekenyng

of thys beggers purse.

¶Then sheweth he that thys better halfe of the hole substaunce ys shyfted amonge fewer then the fowre hundred parte of the people. Whyche he proueth by that he sayth that all the clergye compared vn¦to the remannaunte of the men onely / be not the hundreth {per}sone. And yf they be compared vnto the remanaunte of men / women / and chyl∣dren / so are they not he saeth the fowre hundreth person. But nowe some folke that haue not very longe ago vppon greatoccasyons ta¦ken the rekenynge of prest{is} and relygyous places yn euery diocise / & on the other syde the rekenynge and the nomber of the temporall men yn euery coūtye: know well y^• thys mannes madde rekenynge goeth very farr wyde / and semeth that he hath herd these wyse rekenyngis a•• some congregacyon of beggers. And yet as thoughe bycause he hath sayd yt he had therfore proued yt / he rūneth forth in his raylyng rei••ryque agaynst the hole clergye / and that yn suche a sorte and fas∣syon that very harde yt were to dyscerne whyther yt be more false or more folyshe. For fyrste all the fawtes that any lewde preest or frere doth / all that layeth he to the hole clergye / as well and as wysely as though he wold lay the fawtes of some lewde lay people to y^t defaut and blame of all the hole temporaltye. But thys way lyketh hym so well that thus layeng to the hole clergye y^• fawtes of suche as be sim¦ple & fawty theryn / and yet not onely layeng to theyr charge y^t breche of chastyte & abuse in fleshely lyuyng of suche as be nought / but also madly lyke a fonde felow layeng mych more to theyr charge & myche more ernestly reprouynge y^• good & honest lyuynge of those y^t be good whome he rebukethe and aborreth bycause they kepe theyr vewes & perseuer yn chastyte (for he sayeth that they be the marrars and dys∣stroyers of the realme / bryngeng the lād yn to wyldernesse for lacke of generacyon by theyr abstaynynge from weddyng) then aggreuyth he hys great crymes wyth heynouse wordys / gay repetycyons / & gre¦uous exclamacyōs / callyng them blood suppers & dronken in y^• blood of holy marters & sayntes / whyche he meanyth for the condemnynge of holy heretykes. Gredy gosophers he calleth them and ynsacyable whyrlpoolys / because the temporalte hath gyuen theym possessyōs / & gyue to the freres theyr almoyse. And all vertuouse good preestys & relygyous folke he calleth ydle holy theues / because they spēd theyr tyme yn prechynge and prayour. And than sayth he / these be they that make so many syk & sore beggers. These be they that make these ho∣rys & baudys. These be they that make these theuys. These be they that make so many ydle parsons: These be they that corrupte y^• gene¦racyons. And these be they that wyth the abstaynyng from weddyng hynder so the generacyon of the people / y^• the realme shall at lenght fall yn wyldernes but yf they wed y^• soner. And now vpō these hygh

nous crymes layed vnto the hole clergye / & layd as euery wyse man seeth some very falsely and some very folyshly: after hys goodly re¦petycyons be falleth to hys great and greuous exclamacyons / cryēg out vppon the great brode botomlesse occean see of yuels / and vppō the greuouse shypwrak of the comen welth / the translatynge of the kyngys kyngdōe / and the ruyne of the kynges crown. And therwyth rollynge in hys retoryke from fygure to fygure / he falleth to a vehe¦ment inuocacyon of the kynge / & gyueth hym warnyng of hys greate losse / askynge hym feruently: where ys / your sword / power / crown / and dygnyte bycome•• as though the kynges grace had clene loste hys realme specyally for lacke of people to reygne vppon / bycause that prestes haue no wyuys. And surely the man cannot fayle of suche eloquence: for he hath gathered these goodly flowres out of Luthers gardyne almost worde for worde wythout any more laboure but one∣ly the translacynge owte of the latyn into the englyshe tonge.

¶But to enflame the kyngys hyghnes against the church / he sayth that the clergye laboureth nothyng elles / but to make the kynges sub¦g••••••es fall in to dysobedyence and rebellyon agaynst hys grace.

¶Thys tale ys a very lykely thynge / as though the clergye knew not that there ys nothyng erthly y^t so moche kepeth them self in quyet rest and suertye / as doth the dew obedyence of the people to the ver∣tuouse mynde of the prynce. Whose hygh goodnesse must nedes haue myche more dyffycultye to defende the clargye and kepe the churche in peace / yf y^• people fell to dysobedyence & rebellyon agaynste theyr prynce. And therfore euery chyld may se that the clergye woulde ne∣uer be so madde as to be glad to brynge the people to dysobedyence & rebellyon agaynst the prynce / by whose goodnes they be preserued in peace / and were in suche rebellyō of the people lykely to be the fyrst that shold fall in parell. But neyther ys there desyred by the clergye nor neuer shall by goddes grace happen / any such rebellyon as y^• beg¦gars {pro}ctoure & hys felowes what so euer they say lōg full sore to se.

¶But thys man agaynst y^• clergye fetcheth forth old farne yeres & ••••neth vp to kyng Ihāns days / spēdyng mych labour about y^• pray∣se & cōmendacyō of y^t good gracyous kyng & cryeng out vppō y^• pope y^t then was and the clergye of England / and all the lordys and all y^• comēs of the realme / because kynge Ihān as he sayth made y^• realm trybu••ary to the pope / wherin he meaneth peraduēture the peter pēse But surely therin ys all hys hote accusacyon a very colde tale when y^• trouth ys knowen. For so ys yt in dede y^t albe yt there be wrytars y^• say y^• peter pē••e were graunted by kyng Ihān for the release of the incerdyccyō: yet were they payed in dede ere euer kyng Ihāns grete graūdfather was borne / & therof ys there profe ynough. Now yf he say as in dede some wryters say / that kynge Ihān made Englāde &

Irland trybutary to the pope & the see apostolyque by the graunt of a thowsand markys: we dare surely say agayn that yt ys vntrew / & that all Rome neyther cā shew suche a graunt nor neuer could / and if they could yt were right nought worth. For neuer coulde eny kyng of England geue away the realm to y^• pope / or make the lāde tributary though he wolde / nor no such money ys there payed nor neuer was And as for the peter pense if he meane thē / neyther was y^e realme try¦butary by thē / nor king Ihān neuer graūted thē. For they were payed before the cōquest to the apostolyk see toward the mayntenaūce ther∣of but onely by way of gratytude & almes. Now as for the archbys∣shop Stephen / whom he sayth beyng a traytour to the kynge / y^e pope made archebyshop of Canturbury agaynst y^e kyngys wyll / therin be there as we suppose .ii. lyes at onys. For neyther was y^t Stephē euer traytour agaynst the kyng as farre as euer we haue herd / nor y^e pope none otherwyse made hym archebyshop thē he made all other at that tyme: but y^• same Stephē was well & canonycally chosē archebyshop of Cāturbury by y^• couēt of y^• mōkis at Crist{is} church in Cāturbury to whō as y^• kyng well knew & denyed yt not / y^• eleccyō of y^e archebys¦shop at y^• time belōged. Nor y^e kyng resystyd not hys eleccyō bycause of any treasō y^t was layd agaynst hym: but was discōtētyd therwith / & after y^t his eleccyō was passyd & cōfirmed by y^e pope: he wold not of long seasō suffer hym to enioy y^• byshoprich / because hym selfe had re¦cōmēdyd another vnto y^• mōkys / whō they reiectyd & preferryd Ste¦phē. And that thys ys as we tell you / & not as the beggars prec••our wryteth for a false foūdacyō of hys raylyng: ye shall mow parceyue not onely by dyuers cronycles / but also by dyuers monumētis yet re¦maynynge as well of the eleccyon and cōfyrmacyō of the sayd arche byshop / as of the long sute and proces that after folowed theruppō.

¶Nowe sheweth he hym selfe very wrothe wyth the spyry∣tuall iurysdyccyon / whyche he wolde in any wyse were clene taken awaye / saynge that yt muste nedys dystroy the iurysdyccyon tempo∣rall: where as the good prynces passed haue graunted / and y^• nobles in theyre tymes / and the people to / haue by playne parleamentes con¦fermed them / and yet hytherto blessed be god they agre better to gy∣ther / then to fall at varyaunce for the wylde wordes of suche a ma∣lycyouse make bate: whyche for to brynge the spyrytualtye in to hate∣red / sayth that they call theyr iurysdyccyon a kyngdome. In whyche word he may say his pleasure / but of trewth he seldom seeth eny spy¦rytuall man at thys daye that so calleth eny spyrytuall iurysdyccyō y^t he vseth.

¶Nowe where thys man vseth as a profe therof / that y^• spyrytu∣alte nameth theym selfe alwaye byfore the temporaltye: thys maner of namyng cometh not of them / but of the good mynde and deuocyon

of the temporaltye: so farre forthe that at the parlyament when that eny ac••es be conceyued / the wordes be comenly so cowched / that the byll sayth it ys enacted fyrste by our souerayne lorde y^• kyng and by y^• lordes spyrytuall & temporall & the comens in that present parlyamēt assembled. And these byllys be often drawen put forth & passed fyrste in the comen howse / where there ys not one spyrytuall man present.

¶But suche trewth as the man vseth in thys poynte / suche vseth he where he calleth the pore freres almoyse an axaccyon: surmysynge that yt ys exacted by force and the people compelled to pay yt / where euery man well wotteth that they haue pore men no way to compelle no man to gyue thē aught not though they shulde dy for defawt. But thys good honest true man sayth that who so wyll not pay the freres theyre quarterage they wyll make hym be taken as an heretyque.

We be wyll contente that ye take thys for no lye / as manye as euer haue knowen yt trew. But who herd euer yet that eny man taken for an here••yque / dyd so myche as ones saye that he thought yt conuayd by the malyce of any frere for refusyng to paye y^• freres quarterage. Thys lye lo ys a lytle to lowde / for eny man that were not waxen shameles.

¶Lyke treuth ys there in thys that he sayeth / yf any man trouble a preeste for any tēporall suyte: the clergye forth wyth wyll make hym an heretyque and burne hym / but yf he be cōtent to bere a fagotte for theyre pleasure. The falsehed of thys can not be vnknowen. For mē know well in many a shyre how often that many folk endyght prest{is} of rape at the sessynos. And as there ys somtyme a rape committed in dede / so ys there euer a rape surmysed were the women neuer so wyllynge / and oftentyme where there was nothynge done at all.

And yet of eny suche that so procured preestes to be indyghted: howe many haue men herd taken and accused for heretyques? ye se not very many sessyōs passe / but in one shyre or other thys page an•• ys playd / where as thorow the realme such as be put to penaunce for heresy / be not so many in many yeres as there be prestys endygh∣tyd in few yerys. And yet of all such so taken for heresye / he shall not fynde foure this four score yere / peraduenture not thys four hūdreth yere / that euer precended them selfe so troubled for endyghtyng of a preste. So that hys lye ys herein to large to get eny cloke to couer yt

¶Nowe where he saith that the captayns of doctours Aleyns kyng¦dome / haue hepyd hym vp benefyce vppon benefyce / & haue rewar∣dyd hym .x. tymes as mych as the .v.C. poundis whych he payd for a fyne by the premunire / and that thus hath the spyrytualtye rewarded ••ym because he fought so māfully agaynst the kyngys crowne & hys dygnyte: all that know the matter do well parceyue that the man doth in hys mater as he doth in other / eyther lyeth for hys pleasure / or els

lyttell wotteth how that the matter stode. For it ys well knowen that doctour Aleyn was in the premunire pursued only by spyrytuall mē and had moch lesse fauour & myche more rygour shewed hym therin by the greatest of the clergy / then by any temporall men.

¶He sayth also to the kynges hyghnes / your grace may se what a worke there ys in London / how the byshop rageth for endyghtyng of certayne curates of extorcyon and incontynencye the laste yere in the warmoll quest / wolde not vppon these wordes euery straunger we∣ne that there had bene in Londō many curates endyghted of extorcyō and rape / and that the byshop wold labour sore to defend theyr faut{is} and that there wer aboute y^t matter a greate cōmocyon in all the cyte? How shameles ys he that can tell thys tale in wrytynge to y^• kyng•• hyghnes for a trouth / wherof neyther byshop / nor curate / nor mayre / nor alderman / nor eny man ellys / euer hard word spoken? Hyt were harde to say whether we shulde take yt for wylynes or lacke of wytt y^• he sayth all thys worke was in the cyte the last yere: & then hys bo¦ke neyther was put vp to the kynge / nor bereth eny date. So y^• a man wold wene he were a fole that so wryteth of the last yere / y^• the reder cānot wyt whych yere yt was. But yet wene we he doth yt for a wy∣lynes. For syth he knoweth hys tale false: yt ys wysdome to leue the tyme vnknowen / that hys lye may be vncontrolled. For he wold that men shulde wene alwaye that yt was in one yere or other.

¶But fynally for a specyall poynt he bryngeth in Rychard Hūne and sayth y^t yf he had not commencyd an accyō of premunire agaynst a preste / he had bene yet alyue and none heretyke at all. Now ys yt of trewthe well knowen / that he was detectyd of heresye before the premunyre sued or thought vppon.

And he began that suyte to helpe to stop the tother wythall / as in de∣de yt dyd for the whyle. For all be yt that he that was sued in the pre∣munire was nothynge bylongynge to the byshop of London byfore whome Rycharde Hunne was detectyd of herysy: yet left suche as wolde be glad synysterly to mysseconster euery thynge towarde the clergye / myght haue occasyon to say that the matter were hotely han¦deled agaynst hym to force hym to forbere his suyt of the premunire / the bysshop therefore dyd the more forbere / tyll yt appered clerely to the temporall iudges and all that were eny thyng lerned in the tēpo∣rall law / that hys suyte of the premunire was nothynge worthe in the kynges lawe / for as moche as by playne statute the matter was owt of questyon that the ple to be holden vpon mortuaryes / belonge vnto the spyrytuall courte. After whyche thynge well aperynge / the matter wente forth afore the byshop / & he there well proued nought / and hys bokes after brought forth / suche and so noted wyth hys own hande in the margentes / as euery wyse man well saw what he was /

and was full sore to se that he was suche as they theyre sawe hym preued.

¶Now goeth he ferther and asketh the kynge / dyd not doctor Hor∣say and hys complyces moost heynously as all the worlde kneweth / murder in pryson that honest marchaūt Rychard Hunne / for that he suede your wrytt of premunire agaynst a prest that wrongfully held hym in ple in a spyrytuall courte / for a mater wherof the knowlege bylonged vnto your hyghe courtes? And what punysment hathe he for yt•• After that he had payed as yt ys sayd .vi. hundreth pound{is} for hym and hys complyces / as sone as he had obtayned your moost gra¦cyouse pardon: he was immedyatly promoted by y^• captaynes of hys kyngdome wyth benefyce vpon benefyce to the value of .iiii. tymes as myche. Who ys he of theyr kyngdome that wyll not rather take co¦rage to commyt lyke offense / seyng the promocyons that fell to suche men for theyr so offendyng / so weke & blunt ys your swerd to stryke a•• one of the offenders of thys croked and paruerse generacyon.

We haue here sumwhat cōbred you wyth a pece of hys awn word{is} / bycause ye shuld haue a shew of hys vehemēt eloquēce: wyth whych the bolde beagers proctours so arrogantly presumethe in hys byll to as•••• the kynge a questyon / and to bynde hys hyghnes to answere as hys maystershyp appoyntted hym. For yf hys grace say nay: then he telleth hym byfore / that all the worlde woteth yes. But surely yf he call all the world all that euer god made: then ys there .iii. partes that knoweth the contrary. For we dare be bolde to wa••aunt you / that in heuen / hell / and here among vs in purgatory / of all that thys man so boldely affermeth / the contrary ys well and clerely knowen. And yf be call y^• world but onely men among you ther lyuyng vppon mydle yerth: yet so shall be peraduenture fynde in some parte of the worlde yf he seke yt well / mo than .iiii. or .v. good honest men that neuer hard speke of the mater. And of suche as haue hard of the mater & knowen yt well••he shall fynde mow and specyally we thynk the kyng{is} grace hym self / whose hyghnes he ys so homly to aske the questyon and ap¦poynt hym hys answer hym selfe that of all fyue thynges whych he hathe here in so fewe lynes affyrmed / there ys not one trew but lyes euery one. For fyrst to begyn where he leueth / when he sayth that the clergy haue syns the deth of Rychard Hūne / {pro}moted doctor Hor∣say wyth benefyce vpō bene fyce .iiii. tymes as mych as .vi.C. poūd{is} he playn vntreuth of thys poynt may euery man sone know y^t wyll sone enquyre. For he lyueth yet at exester / and theyr lyueth vpō suche as he had before / wythout that new hepe of benefyce gyuen hym by y^e captaynes of hys kyngdō for kyllyng of Rychard Hūne / or thank ether saue onely of god for hys lōg pacyence in hys vndeserued trou¦ble. But to thēd y^t ye may se how lyttell thys man forceth how lowd

he lye: consyder y^• he sayth that the clergye gaue vnto doctor Horsay after he cam out of pryson benefyce vppon benefyce to the valew of .iiii. tymes as much as .vi.C. pound{is}. Now yf thys be trew / thē hath doccoure Horsay had in benefyces besydes all such as he had before hys troble / the valew of .ii. thousand .iiii.C. pounde. we truste that the man hys substaunce and hys lyuelod ys so well known / that we nede not to tell that the beggers proctor in thys poynt hath made one lowd lye. A nother ys that he sayth that Hunne was kept in ple in the spy∣rytuall law for a matter determynable in the kyng{is} court: for the ma¦ter was for a mortuary / whych by playn statute ys declared to playne to the spyrytuall law. The thyrd ys that Hunne was honest / except heresy be honeste. The fourth ys that doctour Horsey and hys com¦plyces murdred hym in pryson: for therof ys y^• cōtrary well knowen / and that the man hanged hym selfe for dyspayre / dyspyte / and for sak of grace. we myght an we wold lay for the fyft / the payment whych he speketh of the .vi.C. poundes / wyth whyche money he wolde men shuld wene that he bought hys pardon. wherin he layeth a good great some / to thend that folk well wyttyng that doctour Horsay was not lyke to haue so mych money of hys awn / shuld wene therwyth that y^• clergye layed out the money among them / & thē gaue hym benefyces wherof he myght pay them ageyn. But thys layth he frō hym self / and shewyth not to whom / for he sayth yt ys sayd so. And yet were yt no wrong that yt were accounted hys owne / tyll he put yt better from hym / and proue of whome he herde yt. How be yt syth there ys other store ynough: we shall leue thys lye in questyō betwene hym and we wote nere whom ellys / and we shall for the fyfte laye you that lye y^• he layeth forth hym selfe / that ys to wytte / where he sayeth that the chaunceller purchased the kynges mooste gracyouse pardon for the murderyng of Hūne. For thys ys the trouhe that he neuer sued eny pardon therfore. But after that the matter had ben by longe tyme & great dylygence so ferre forth examyned / that the kyng{is} hyghnes at length (as tyme alwaye tryeth owte the trouth•• well perceyuyd hys innocency & theyrs also that were accused and endyghted with hym•• hys noble grace when they were arraygned vppon that endyghment and therto pleded that they were not gyltye / commaunded hys attor∣nay generall to confesse theyr ple to be true / whyche is the thyng that hys hyghnes as a moost vertuouse prynce vseth for to do / when the mater ys not onely iuste / but also knowen for iust vppon the parte of the partye defendaunte. Bycause that lyke as where the mater appe∣reth dowtefull he doth as reason ys / suffer yt to go forth and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 y^• trouth be tryed / so where he seeth and perceyueth the ryght to be on y^• other syde / hys hyghnes wyll in no wyse haue the wrōg sette forth or mayntayned in hys name. Now when yt was then thus in dede / that

neyther the chaunceller nor eny man elles euer suede eny charter of pardon for y^• mater: thys ys then y^• fyftlye that thys man hath made in so few lynes. Whych thyng{is} who so well cōsyder / can not but mer¦uayle of the sore pyththy poynt where wyth he knytteth vppe all hys heuy matter / saynge to the kyng: who ys there of theyr kyngdome y^• wyll not take corage to commyt lyke offence seynge the promocyons that fall to suche menne for theyre offendyng: so weke and so blunte ys your sworde to siryke at one of the offenders of thys croked and peruerse generacyon. Loo how thys greate zelator of the commen welthe cryeth owte vppon the kynge / that hys sword ys not stronge a sharpe to stryke of innocencys heddis. He hath of lykelyhed ransa∣ked vppe all dame retoryques rolles to fynd owte thys goodly fygu¦re / to call vppon the kynge and aske hys hyghnes where ys youre swerde / and tell hym hys swerde ys to dull: as though he wolde byd hym bere yt to the cutlers to grynde / that he myghte stryke of doctor Horsayes hed whome hys grace had founde fawtelesse / and testyfy¦ed hym hym selfe for an innocence. If thys man were here matched wyth some suche as he ys hym selfe / that hathe the eloquence that he hath that coulde fynde out suche comely fygures of retoryque as he fyndeth sette forthe and furnyshed wyth suche vehement wordes as he thundreth owte lyke thunder blastys / that hathe no lesse maters in hys mouth than the greate brode botomlesse occean see full of euyls / the wekenes and dulnes of the kynges swerde / the translacyon of y^• kyngys kyngdome / the ruyne of the kynges crowne / wyth greate exclamacyons / Oh greuouse and paynfull exaccyons / oh cause most horryble oh greuouse shyp wracke of the comen welth: what myght one that had suche lyke eloquence saye here to hym? surely so myche and in suche wyse as we sely poore pewlyng sowles neyther can de∣uyse nor vtter. But verely two or thre thynges we se and maye well saye that neyther be these greate maters mete for the mouthe of the beggers proctour / nor suche prechyng of reformacyon and amēdemēt of the world mete maters for hym to medle wyth / whych wyth open heresyes and playne pestylent errors / besely goeth aboute to poyson and infecte the worlde: nor very conuenyent for hym to take vppon hym to gyue counsayle to a kynge / when he sheweth hym self to haue so moche presumpcyon and so lytell wytt / as to aske the kyng a ques∣tyon and appoynte hym hys answer: and therin to tell hym that all y^• worlde knoweth that thynge to be trew / whych the kynge hathe hym selfe all redy by hys atturney and hys iudges in open iugement / and in hys hygh courte of recorde testefyed & confessed for false. If that man were not for malyce as mad not as marche hare / but as a madde dogge that rūneth forth and snatcheth he seeth not at whome: the fe∣lowe could neuer elles wyth suche open foly so sodenly ouer se hym

selfe. But yt were wrong wyth the worlde yf malyce had as myche wytte / cyrcumspeccyon and prouydence in the pursute of an vngracy¦ouse purpose / as yt hath hast / yuell wyll and wylynesse in the fyrst in terprysynge. For as an ape hath some symylytude of a man / and as a fox hath a certayne wylynesse somewhat resemblyng an vnperfayte wytte: so fareth thys felowe / that begynneth as one wolde wene at good zeale and cheryte borne towarde the poore beggers. But forthe wyth he sheweth hym selfe that he nothyng ellys entendeth: but opē∣ly to dystroy the clergye fyrst / & after that couertly as many as haue aught aboue the state of beggers. And where as he wold in y^• begyn∣nynge by y^• towchyng of great maters / fayne seme very wyse: wyth in a whyle in the progresse he proueth hym self a very stark fole. And where he wolde seme to shewe many notable thynges whych no man had marked but he / he prouydeth wysely that no mā may beleue hym he maketh so many lyes / and all that euer he dothe ferther / he buyl∣deth vppon the same.

¶He layeth that the lyuynge whych the clergye hathe ys the onely cause that there be so many beggers that be syk and sore. Very well and wysely / as though the clergye by theyre substaunce made men blynde and lame. The clergye also ys the cause he sayth why they dye for hunger / as thoughe euery lay man gaue to beggers all that e∣uer he coulde / and the clergye gyue them neuer a grote: & as though there wolde not mo beggers walke a brode yf the clergye lefte of suche lay men as they fynde.

¶But he proueth you that the clergy must nedys be the cause why there be so many poore men and beggers. For he sayth that before the clergy came in theyr were but few pore people: and yet they beggyd not neyther / but men he sayth gaue them ynough vnasked. But now where sa••••he whē he saw the people gyue pore folke so fast theyr all∣mes vnasked y^• no man neded to beg before the clergy began. Thys man of lyklyhod ys of grete age / & or ere y^• clergy began was wonte to syt at saynt Sauours wyth a sore leg: but he beggyd not mē gaue hym so mych vnasked. For where as he alledgyth the byble for hym in the actes of the appostles / verely we meruayll mych what the mā meneth. For there he may se that the apostels and the deacons whych were then the clergy / had all to gyther in there own handys / & dystry¦buted to euery man as them self thought good. And therfore we won¦der what he meaneth to speke of that boke. For we thynke that he me¦neth not to hurt the clergy so now / as to put all in to theyr hand{is}. And surely but yf he meane so / els ys thys place nothīg for hys purpose. ¶Now herein he sheweth also an hygh poynt of hys wyt / where he sayth that the greate lyuyng that the clergy hath / whyche he layeth & lyeth to be more then half of the hole reuenews and substaunce of the

realme: ys shyfted among fewer then the foure hundreth part of the people. As though y^• of the clergyes parte there had no lay people theyr lyuyng / no seruaunt eny wagys / none artyfycer eny money for workyng / no carpenter no masyn eny money for byldyng: but all the money that euer cūmeth in theyr handes / they put yt by & by in theyre own belyes / and no lay man hath eny relyef therof. And therfor thys poynt was wysely wrytten ye se as well as we. Now for the trouthe therof / yf yt were trew that he sayth / that the clergy compared to the resydew of the men onely / be not one to an .C. then shall ye not nede to fere y^• greate Turke and he cam to morow / except ye suffer amōg you to grow in great nomber these Lutherans that fauoure hym. For we dare make you the warantyse that yf hys lye be true / there be mo men a greate meany in Londō and wythin .iiii. shyres next adioynyng / than the great Turk bryngeth in to Hungary. But in thys ye must hold hī excused / for he medleth not mych wyth angry in to se to what sūme the nōber of men aryseth that ys multyplyed by an .C. All hys practyse in multyplycacyon medleth wyth nothyng but lyes: & therin mache hym wyth whō ye wyll / he wyll gyue you a .C. for one. wher∣of yf ye lack let thys be the sāple y^• he sayth / yf thabbot of westmyn∣ster shuld syng euery day as many masses for hys foūders as he ys boūdē to do by hys foūdacyō. M. mōk•• were to few / ye dout not we think but he cā tell you who hath boūd thē to how many / & so cā make ye y^• playn rekenīge y^• thabbot ys boūd in the yere to no fewer masses than .iii.C.lxv.M. He knoweth what ys euery mannes dutye saue hys owne. He ys mete to be a beggers proctour / that can soo proll aboute and can tell all thynge.

¶But now were all his payntyd {pro}ces ye wot well nothing worth / but yf he deuysed agaynste all these myscheues some good and holsō help. It ys therfore a world to se what polytyke deuyces he fyndeth agaynst y^• great brode botomlesse occean see of euyls: what remedyes to repayre the ruyne of the kyngys crown: to restore and vphold hys honour and dygnyte: to make hys swerd sharp and strong: & fynally to saue all the shyp wrak of the comen welth. ye wolde peraduenture wene y^• the man wolde now deuyse sō good holsome lawes for helpe of all these maters. Nay he wyll none therof. For he sayth he douteth that the kyng ys not able to make any law agaynst them. For he sayth that the clergy ys stronger in the parliament than the kyng hym self. For in the hygher house / he rekenyth that the spyrytualte ys more in nomber and stronger than the temporalte. And in the comen house he sayth that all the lerned men of the realme except the kynges lerned councell / be feed wyth the church to speke agaynst the kynges crown and dygnyte in the parlyamēt for theym: and therfore he thynketh the kynge vnable to make eny law agaynst the fawtys of the clergye.

¶Thys beggars {pro}ctour wold fayn shew hym self a man of great experyence / and one that had great knowlege of the maner & order vsed in the kyngys parlyamētys. But than he speketh so sauourly herof: that yt well apperyth of hys wyse word{is} he neyther canneth eny skyll therof / nor neuer cā in the house. For as for y^• hygher house furst y^• kyng{is} own ryall parson alone more than coūterpaysyth all y^• lordys spyrytuall present wyth hym and the temporyll to. And ouer thys the spyrytual lordys can neuer in nomber excede the lordys tem¦porall / but must nedys be farre vnderneth thē yf yt please the kyng. For hys hyghnes may call thyder by hys wryt many mo tēporall lor¦dys at hys own pleasure. And beyng as they be / there was neuer yet sene that the spyrytuall lordes bendyd them selfe there as a partye a∣gaynst the temporall lordes. But yt hath bene sene that the thynge whych the spyrytuall lordes haue moued and thought resonable / the temporall lordes haue denyed & refused: as appereth vppon the mo∣cyon made for legytymacyō of the chyldrē borne before the maryage of theyr parentys. Wherin albe yt y^t the reformacyon whych the lord{is} spyrytuall moued / was a thyng that nothyng partayned to ther awn commodyte / and albe yt that they layed also for theyr parte the con∣stytucyon and ordynaunce of the church and the lawes of other crys∣ten cuntrees: yet could they not obtayne agaynst the lordes temporall that nothynge alleged to the contrary but theyre owne wylles.

And therfor in the hygher house the spyrytuall parte neuer apperyd yet so strong / that they myght ouer matche the temporall lordes. And then how mych ar they to feble for them and the kyng to / whose hygh¦nes alone ys ouer strong for thē both / & may by hys wryt call to hys parlyamēt mo temporall lordes whan he wyll. Now where he sayth y^• in the comen house all the lerned men of the realme ar feed to speke for the clergy except the kynges lerned counsell: there be .ii. folyes at ones. For neyther be all the lernyd men of the realme knyghtes or burgeyses in the comen house / and the kyngys lerned coūcell ys not there at all. And therfore yt semeth that he hath hard sumwhat of sū men that had sene as lytell as hym self. And surely yf he had bene in the comen house as some of vs haue bene: he shuld haue sene the spy¦rytualte nat gladly spoken for. And we lytell dout but that ye remem¦ber actes and statutes passyd at sōdry parlyamētes / suche and in such wyse & some of them so late / as your self may se that eyther y^• clergy ys not the strenger {per}te in the kyng{is} {per}lyement / or elles haue no mynd to stryue. And for the ferther profe that the kynges hyghnes ys not so weke & vnable in hys owne parlyamēt as thys beggers proctour so presumptuously telleth hym / hys grace well knowyth and all hys people to / y^• in theyr own conuocacyons hys grace neuer deuysed nor desyred any thyng in hys lyfe / y^• euer was denyed hym. And therfore thys gay inuencyō of thys beggers proctour / y^• he fayneth the kyng{is}

hyghnes to be in hys hygh courte of parlyament more weke and fe∣ble then the clergye / ys a feble deuyce.

¶But now syth he wyll haue no law deuysed for the remedy of his greate complayntes / what helpe hath he deuysed els. The helpe of all thys gere ys he sayth none other thing / but to lett hym & suche ry∣all raylers rayle & gest vppō the church / and tell the people y^• prest{is} fawtes: and for the lewdnes of parte / brynge y^• hole clergy in cōtēpt and hatered amonge all the temporall folke. Whych thyng he sayth y^• kyng must nedes suffer / yf he wyll eschew the ruyne of hys crowne •• dygnyce / And thys thyng he sayth shalbe more spedefull & effectu∣all in the matter / than all the lawes that euer can be made be they ne∣uer to strōg. Lo good lordys & masters then shall ye nede no mo par∣lyamēt ys. For here ys god be thankyd an easye way wysely founden to remedye wythe raylynge the greate brode botomlesse occean se of yuels and to saue the comen weale frome shyp wracke / & the kynges crowne from ruyne.

¶But now to the poore beggers. what remedy fyndeth theyr proc∣tour for therto make hospytals? Nay ware of y^t / therof he wyll none in no wyse. For therof he sayth the mo y^• worse / because they be {pro}fyta¦ble to prest{is} what remedy thā? Gyue thē any money? Nay nay not a grot••. what other thyng thē? Nothyng in y^• world wyll serue but this that yf y^• kynges grace wyll byld a sure hospytall y^• neuer shall fay∣le to releue all the sycke beggers for euer / let hym gyue nothynge to thē but loke what the clergye hath & take all that from them. Is nott here a goodly myschef for a remedy? Is not thys a ryall fest to leue these beggers meteles / and then send mo to dyner to theym? Oh the wyse. Here want we voyce and eloquēce to set out an exclamacyon in the prayse and commendacyon of thys specyall hygh prouysyon.

Thys byll putteth he forth in the poore beggers name. But we ve∣rely thynk yf them self haue as myche wyt as their proctour lacketh / they had leuer see theyr byll maker burned / then theyr supplycacyon sped. For they may sone {per}ceyue that he myndeth nor theyr almoyse / but onely the spoyle of the clergye. For so that the clergye lese yt: he neyther deuyseth ferther / nor ferther forcyth who haue yt.

¶But yt ys ethe to se wherof spryngeth all hys dyspleasure. He ys angry & fretyth at the spyrytuall iurysdyccyon for the ponyshmēt of heretykes and burnyng of theyr erronyouse bokes: for euer vppō that stryng he harpeth: very angry wyth the burnyng of Tyndals testament. For these matters he calleth them blood suppers dronken in the blood of holy sayntes and marters. ye merueyll paraduenture which holy sayntes & martyrs he menyth. Surely by hys holy saynt{is} and marters he meanyth theyr holy scysmatykes and heretykes / for whose iust ponyshment these folk that ar of y^• same sect / fume / frete /

frote and fome / as fyerce and as angerly as a new huntyd sow. And for the rācour conceyuyd vppon this dysplesure / cometh vp all hys cōplaynt of the possessyons of the clergye. Wheryn he spareth & for∣bereth the nūnys yet / because they haue no iurisdyccyon vppon here∣tykys: for els he wold haue cryed out vppō theyr possessyōs to. But thys ys now no new thyng nor y^t furste tyme y^t heretykes haue bene in hād wyth the mater. For furste was there in the .xi. yere of kynge Henry the fourth / one Ihān Badby burned for heresy. And forth wyth theruppon was there at the next {per}lyment holden y^• same yere / a byll put in / declaryng how mych temporall lād was in the church / which rekenyng the maker therof gessyd at by y^• nomber of knygh••s fees / of whych he had went he had made a very iuste account. And in thys byll was yt deuysed to take theyr possessyons out agayn. How be yt by the byll yt appered well vnto thē whych well vnders••••de y^• mater / that the maker of the byll neither wyst what land there 〈◊〉〈◊〉 / nor how many knyght{is} fees there was in the church / nor well what thyng a knyghtes fee ys: but the byll deuysed of rancour & yuell will by some such as fauoured Badby that was burned / and wolde haue hys heresyes fayne go forward.

¶And so y^t byll suche as yt was / such was yt estemed and set a syde for nought. So happed yt thē sone after that in y^• first yereof y^• kyng{is} mooste noble progenytour kynge Henry the fyfte those heresyes se¦cretely crepyng on styll among the people: a great nomber of theym had fyrst couertely cōspyred and after openly gathred and assembled theym selfe / purposyng by opē warre and batayle to destroy y^• kyng and hys nobles and subuerte the realme. Whose traytorouse ma••yce that good catholyque kynge preuented / wythstode / ouerthrew / and punyshed: by many of them takē in the feld / and after for theyr tray∣torouse heresyes bothe hanged and burned. Whervppon forthwyth at y^• parlymēt holdē y^• same yere / lyke wyse as that ryall prynce 〈◊〉〈◊〉 vertuouse nobles & his good crysten cōmunes / deuysed good lawes agaynst heretyques: so dyd some of suche as fauored theym / efte so¦nys put in the byll agaynst the spyrytualltye. Whyche efte sonys con¦sydered for suche as it was and cummynge of suche malyciouse pur¦pose as yt cam: was agayne reiected and set a syde for nought. Thē was there longe after that / one Rycharde howndon burned for here sye. And thē forthe wyth were there a rable of heretyques gatheryd theym self to gyther at Abyndon: whych not entēdyd to lese eny more labour by puttynge vp of byllys in the parlement{is} / but to make an open insurreccyon and subuerte all the realme / and then to kyll vp y^• clergye and sell preestes heddes as good chepe as shepys hedd{is} thre¦for a peny bye who wold. But god saued y^• chyrch & y^• realm both & tourned theyre malyce vppō theyre awne hedd{is}. And yet after theyr

punyshment then were there some that renewed the byll agayn. And 〈…〉〈…〉 after this was ther one Ihān Goose rosted at y^• towre hyll. And 〈◊〉〈◊〉 forth wyth some other. Ihān goose bygā to bere that bell a br••de agayn / & made some gag••ing a whyle but yt auayled hym not. And now bycause some heretyques haue bene of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ab••••red / thys 〈◊〉〈◊〉 therfore hath made thys beggers byll / and gageleth a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 vppon the same mater / and that as he thynketh by a {pro}per 〈◊〉〈◊〉 lykely to spede now / bycause he maketh his byll in the name of the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and hys byll cowhed as full of lyes as any begger swarmeth full of lyce.

¶We neyther wyll nor shall nede to make myche busynes abowte thys 〈…〉〈…〉 myche better in the goodnesse of good men / thē 〈…〉〈…〉 nede for thys thyng to reason agaynst an vnresonable 〈◊〉〈◊〉. We be sure ynoughe that good men were they y^• gaue this 〈…〉〈…〉 and therfore nought shuld they be of lykelyhed that 〈…〉〈…〉 thense agayn. To whych rauyne and sacrylege our lord•• 〈…〉〈…〉 shall neuer suffer thys realme to fall.

¶〈…〉〈…〉 Austeyn in his dayes when he parceyuyd that some 〈…〉〈…〉 at the possessyons that then were geuen in to 〈…〉〈…〉 in an open sermon amonge all the people ••ffer them 〈…〉〈…〉 agayne and that hys church and he wold forsake thē / 〈…〉〈…〉 theym take theym who wolde. And yet was there not ••foun∣d•• in all the towne aloe yt that the people were as these Affrycanis 〈…〉〈…〉 barbarouse / fyerce & boystuouse / yet was there none as we say fowden eny one so badde / that his 〈◊〉〈◊〉 word serue hym to en••••e in to one fo••e.

¶When Phargo the kynge of Egypte bought vp in the dere yeres all the landys that were in euery mānes hande / so that all the people were fayne to sell theyre enherytaunce for hunger: yet ydolater as he was he wold neuer suffer for eny nede the possessyons of y^• prest{is} to be 〈◊〉〈◊〉 / but made prouysyon for theym beside / and suffred theym to kepe theyre landys styll / as the byble bereth wytnesse / And we ve¦rely truste that the good chrysten prynces of the chrysten realme of Englonde shall neuer fayle of more fauour towarde the clergye of Cryste / then had that prynce Idolatre to the preestes of hys ydoll{is}. ye•• ys yt not ynough to the cruell mynde of thys man to take frome the hole clergy all that euer they haue / but that he wold ferther haue theym bounden vnto cartes and whypped to dryue theym to labour. ¶Of all theues ys thys one of the wurste and moste cruell kynde. For of all theues mē most abhorre them that whan they haue takē a mannes money frome hym / thē take and bynde hym and bete hym to. But ye•• ys this wretche mych wurse. For he fareth as a cruell thefe that wolde wythout respecte of hys awne commodyte / take a mann{is}

money frome hym and caste yt he care not where / and then bynde the man to a tree and bete hym for hys pleasure. Oh the cheryte.

¶But he sayeth he wolde haue theym whypped to compell them to laboure and gette theyre lyuynge in the swete of theyre faces. And thys wold he not good man but for fulfullyng of goddys commaun∣dement. For he sayeth that yt ys cōmaunded them in the fyrst chapter of Genesys. And therfore ys he theryn so indifferēt th••t he excepteth none / but calleth the beste but ydle holy theues / and so wold haue th•• all robbed and spoyled / bounden and beten to compell them to w••••k wyth theyre handes / to gete theyre lyuyng in the swete of theyr faces for the fulfullyng of goddys commaundement. Amonge thys com∣pany that he wolde sodaynely sende forthe newe robbed wyth ryght naught lefte theym: ys there many a good man that hath lyued full godly many a fayre day / and duely serued god & prayd for vs / which we haue well founden: many an olde man: many a sore syk man: and many blynde and many same to. All whyche as sone as they be dreuē owte of theyre awne dores / this cherytable man wolde be very well content to see them bounden and beten to / bycause they be of y^• clergy For excepcyon maketh he none / in thys world.

¶He layeth vnto the charge of the clergy that they lyue ydle 〈…〉〈…〉 that they be all bounde to labour and gette theyre lyuyng in the swe••e of theyre faces / by the precepte y^• god gaue to Adam in the fyrste cha∣piter of Genesys. Here this mā sheweth hys cōnyng. For yf 〈◊〉〈◊〉 be so: then were the preestes in the olde lawe bounden therto as well as ys y^• clergy now. And then howe happed yt that of thys poy••••e there was no mencyon made by Moyses? howe happed yt that god in that lawe prouyded theym myche larger lyuynge then he dyd the lay peo¦ple? & that such kynde of lyuynge as declared that hys pleasure was that they shuld lyue owt of labour and vppon y^• labour of other man∣nes handes? The holy apostle saynt Powle / all though hym self in some places forbare to take hys lyuinge frely / but rather chose to ly∣ue of hys owne labour then to be in theyre daungeour whych wolde happely haue sayd y^t he preched because he wold lyue at ••ase therby / and thys dyd he specyally to put suche false apostles to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 / as for suche desyre of ydle lyuynge fell some where to false prechynge: yet neyther dyd he so in euery place / and also cōfessed and sayed that he myght well and lawfully haue done the contrary / affyrmynge yt for good reason y^• he that serueth the awter shuld lyue of the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 & sayng also: yf we sow vnto you spirituall thyng{is} / ys yt a great thing yf we repe your carnall thyng{is}? Now chryst hys awne mouth sayd vnto the people / that they shulde not leue theyr dutyes vnpayed vn¦to the preests. And thys good chrystē man wold haue theym all clene taken frome theym and yet the preestes well beten to.

¶He rekeneth all the clergye ydle / bycause they labour not wyth theyre handes tyll theyre faces swete. But our sauyour chryst reke∣ned farre other wyse in blessyd Mary Magdalene / 〈…〉〈…〉 syt∣tyng at her case and herkenyng / he accounted and declared 〈…〉〈…〉 busynes then the busy styryng & walkyng abowt of his good 〈…〉〈…〉 Martha whyche was yet of all worldly busynes occupyed abowte the beste: for she was busye abowte almoyse and hospetalyte / and y^• gestynge of the beste pore man and moste gracyouse geste that euer was gested in thys worlde.

¶Now yf thys can not yet content thys good man bycause of godd{is} commaundement geuen vnto Adam that he shuld eate hys brede in y^• swete of hys face: thē wo••d we fayne wyt whycher h••m self neuer go to me••e tyll he haue wrought so sore wyth hys handes if at hys face sweteth Surely we beleue he laboureth not so sore before euery meale. 〈…〉〈…〉 w••renor good to truste hys answere / for he wyll happely say yes / and not le••e for one lye amonge so manye. How be yt he thynketh yt per••duēture inough for hym / y^• 〈…〉〈…〉 swete in sekynge owte olde heresyes / & deuysyng n••we And verely yf he loke y^• suche busynes shulde serue hym for a dys∣charge of harde labour moche be••er may we thynk 〈…〉〈…〉 of many good men whome he wold haue beten 〈…〉〈…〉 lyues in fastyng / prayer & prechyng / and studyeng abow•• the trouth. ¶But yt ys good to loke bytyme what this beggers 〈◊〉〈◊〉 mea∣neth by thys commaundement of ••and labour that he speketh of whe•• yf he cōfesse that yt byndeth not euery mā: then ys yt layed ••o no pur∣pose agaynste the clergye. For 〈◊〉〈◊〉 was a small clergye 〈◊〉〈◊〉 that word was sayed to our first foder Adam. But now yf he call as be 〈◊〉〈◊〉 / and then wyll that yt 〈◊〉〈◊〉 vnto all the hol•• kynd of man / as a thynge by god commaunded vnto Adam and all hys of spryng thē thogh he say litle now / he meneth to go 〈…〉〈…〉 then he speketh of yet. For yf he myght fyrst haue the clergy put owt of theyre lyuynge / and all that they haue clene taken frome theym / a myght haue theym ioyned to these beggers if a•• be now / and ouer y^• added vnto them and send a beggyng to / all ••hose y^• the clergye fynd now full honestly: thys pageaūt ones played / and hys beggers byll so well spedde / then whan the beggers should haue so mych 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ly∣uynge and be so many moo in multytude: surely lyke wyse as for the beggers he now maketh hys byll to the kyngys hyghnesse agaynste bysshops / abbo••tys / pryours / prela••ys / and preestys: so wold he then wychyn a whyle after make a nother byll to the people agaynst mer∣chauntys / gentylmen / kyngys / lordys / and prynces / and complayne that they haue all / and saye that they do nothyng for yt but lyue ydle / and that they be cōmaunded in Genesys to lyue by y^• labour of theyr

handys in the swete of theyre facys / as he sayth by the clergye now. Wherein yf they wene that they shall stande in other case thē the cler¦gye doth now: they may peraduenture sore deceyue theym selfe. For yf they wyll thynk that theyre case shall not be called all one bycause they haue landys and goodys to lyue vppon / they must consyder so hath the clergye to. But y^t ys the thyng y^t thys beggers {pro}ctor cōplay¦neth vppon / and wold haue theym taken away. Now yf the landed men suppose that theyre case shall not seme one wyth the case of the clergye / bycause they shall happely thynk that the church hath theyre possessyons gyuen theym for causes whych they fulfyll not / and that yf theyre possessyons happen to be taken frome theym yt shalbe done vppon that grounde / and so the lay landed men owte of that fere by∣cause they thynke that suche lyke occasyon and ground and consyde∣racyon fayleth and can not be founden in them a theyre enherytaūce: surely yf any mā clerk or lay haue landis in y^• gyft wherof hath bene eny cōdycyon adioynyd whych he fulfylleth not / the geuer may well with resō vse theryn such aduaūtage as y^t law geueth him. But on y^• tother syde who so wyll aduyse pryncys or lay people to take from y^• clergy theyr possessyōs / allegyng maters at large / as layng to theyr charge that they liue not as they shuld / nor vse not well theyr possessi∣ons / and that therfore yt were well done to take them from theym by force and dyspose them beter: we dare boldly say who so gyueth this deuyce as now doth this beggars proc••our / we worde gyue you coū∣sell to loke well what wyll folow. For he shall not fayle as we sayd before yf thys byll of his were sped / to fynde you sone after in a new supplicacyon new balde reasons ynow y^t shuld please the peoples ca¦res / wherewych he wold labour to haue lordys landis and all honest mēnys goodys to be pulled fom them by force a dysiry bu••ed among beggars. Of whych there shuld in thys wyse y^t he deuyseth encreace and grow so many / that they shuld be able for a sodayn shyft to make a strong parle. And surely as the fyre euer ••••epeth forward and labo¦reth to turn all into fyre: so wyll such bold beggars as thys is / neuer cease to solycyte and precure all that they can / the spoyle and robbery of all that ought haue / and to make all beggars as they be them self.

¶We be cō••ent y^• ye beleue vs not / but yf yt haue so {pro}uyd all redy by those vplandysh Lutherās that rose vp in Almaygne. Whych be∣yng onys raysed by such sedycyose bok{is} as ys thys beggars supply¦cacyon / & such sedycyouse heretykys as ys he that made yt: set furste vppon spyrytuall prelatys. But shortly theruppon they so sirechyd vnto the temporall pryncys / that they were fayne to ioyne in ayde of them self with those whom they laughed at furst to se them put in the paryll / hopynge to haue had the profyte of theyr losse / tyll they saw y^• they were lykly to lese theyr owne wyth them. And for all the ponysh¦ment

y^t they pursued vppon those rebellyouse parsōs / of whom ther were in one somer slayn aboue .lx.M. yet ys that fyre rather couored than quenchyd•• because they suffered yt crepe forth so farre at furst / y^t 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ar••ow therby amōg the lordys thē self / as there cā neuer 〈◊〉〈◊〉 some nedy rauenouse sāded men / that shalbe redy to be captayns in all such rebellyons: as was the lord Cobham called Olde castell somtyme a captayn of heretykes in Englande in the dayes of kynge 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the fyft. And surely there would sone folow some sore chaū∣ge in the temporalie / yf thys beggers proctour haue hys malycyouse supplycacyon spedde agaynst the spyrytualte.

¶••ut yet lest folk shulde abhorre hys hard harte and cruelte: y^e mā tēperyth hys mater wyth a goodly vysage of the sore inwarde sorow y^t he taketh for the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of mankynd / and wyth the greate zele that he hereth to generacyō for the good encreace of crysten people in the sād. For he wold for that cause in eny wyse that all y^e clergy shuld haue wyues. For he asketh y^e kyng{is} hyghnes as the mā ha••h caught a great pleasure to appose the kyng / wherin he vseth a fygure of re∣thoryk that mē call sawce malaper••e what an infynyte nūber of peo¦ple mygh•• haue bene encreased to haue peopled your realme / yf thys sort of folk had ben ma••••ed lyke other men. This mater that prestes must nedys haue ••wyues he brynge lhe dyuers••y in .iii. or .iiii. placys. And amonge other he hathe one / wherin he sheweth in raysynge a∣gaynst the clergy a princypall par••e of hys excellence eloquence. For there he vseth hys ryall fygure of rethoryke called repetycyō / repe∣tyng often by y^e hole clergy: these be they in y^e begīnyng of hys clause▪ These be they y^t haue made .C.M. idle hores in your realme. The∣se be they y^• corrupt the generacyō of mākynd in your realm. These be they that draw mennys wyues in to incontynency in your realme. And after dyuers of such these be these / he cōcludeth & knytteth vp the ma••er wyth his accustomyd vehemence ••et out of Luthers volu¦mys askyng who is able to nomber the great brode botomlesse occeā see full of yuels / that thys myscheuouse and synfull generacyō bryn¦geth vp vppon vs? As though all the hole clergy were of thys cōdy¦cion and no man els but they. But among all hys these be thays / this ys one whych as the sorest and the most vehemente / he secteth in the fore front of thē all: These be they that by theyr abstaynyng fro ma¦ryage•• do let the generacyon of the people / wherby all the realme at lenght yf yt shuld be contynued shalbe made desert and inhabytable.

•• Lo the depe insyght that thys beggars proctour hathe in the brode botomlesse occeā see full of yuels to saue the greuouse shypwrak of the comen welth. He seeth farre farther than euer Cryst was ware of / or eny of hys blyssed apostles / or eny of y^e old holy fathers of cry¦stys fayth and resigyon syns hys holy assencyō hetherto / tyll now y^t

Luther cam of late and Tyndale after hym / & spyed out thys great secrete mystery that neyther god nor good man coud espye. If theyr abstaynyng fro maryage shuld make all the lād desort and inhabyta¦ble / how happeth yt that habytacyon endureth theryn so long: for the lande hathe lasted syth the begynnynge of theyre absteynynge frome maryage ye wot well many a fayre day. And now yf theyr abstaynīg from maryage not wythstandyng / the land hath bene vpholden with the generacyon of you y^t ar the temporalie so long: ye shall lykewyse hereafter be godd{is} grace and the helpe of good prayours for kepyng the land from wyldernes / be able to get chyldren styll your self / and shall not nede to call neyther monkys nor freres to helpe you.

¶Now yf yt be so that y^e clergy be as he sayth but the hundred p••rt of the men / and yet not so mych nether: there ys not then so great pa∣rell of the land to fall to wyldernes / but y^t the .lxxxxix. partes may mayntayn yt populouse / though the hūdred part abstayn. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 for to shew that he hath not left hys anxyouse fauour toward his natyue cōtrey though he be ronne away from yt for heresy•• fereth sore lest y^e hundred par••e forberyng maryage / all the .lxxxxix. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 shall not be able so to preserue yt with generacyon / but that yt shall wa•• not one∣ly desert / but also / wherof we most wonder inhabitable / y^t is to say suche as of yt self shall not be able for manny •• habytacyon: But he paraduenture taketh inhabytable for desart / desola••e and not inhaby¦ted / because men shuld se that he can so roll in hys rethoryk / that he wotteth not what hys owne wordys meane.

¶And sumwhat yet ys yt to be consydered / that in such parte of his boke that he wold haue yt appere that theyr lyuyng is to mych: there he wold make yt seme that they were very few. And where he wold haue them take wyuys: he wold haue them seme so many / that theyr abstaynyng from maryage were able to bryng all the land into deso∣lacyon and wildernes. And thus he handleth eyther parte so wysely: y^t there lakketh hym nothyng yerthly theryn / but euē a peny weyght of wyt. For faw•• wherof / hys wyly foly foreseeth not that one par••e of his proces euer impugneth a nother. For they that were right now so small a parte of people that a littell wold suffyse for theyr lyuyng: be now sodenly so many that yf they were maryed infynyte nomber of people he sayth to y^e kyng wold increase to people his 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in wyth Now yf that be trew that of them alone yf they were maryed / so in∣fynyte nomber of people wold encrease / that yt wold make y^e realm populouse: then eyther ar they contrary to hys count mo then the hū∣dreth part (for one out of a .C. is no very parceyuable mysse / nor one added to an .C. no very parceuable encrease) or els yf they be but the hundred parte as he made hys rekenyng ryght now / yet yf yt be then trew that he sayth syns / that of the hūdred parte maryed so infynyte

nomber of people myght yncrease to people the realme: then can he not deny but that of the .lxxxxix. partys there may grow .lxxxxix. ty∣mes infinite nōber of people. And then they beyng so / thoughe y^e cler¦gye beyng as he sayth but y^• hundred part neuer mary: yet shall y^• po∣•••• fole not nede to wake & wax lene for fere of the realm fallynge to wyldernes. In whych he seeth y^• there maye of the .lxxxxix. partis re¦••••ew / grow and encrease .lxxxxix. tymes infynyte nomber of peo∣ple to make y^t land populouse. ¶Yet maruayle we mych of one thyng y^e in all his fere y^t generacyon shuld fayle because y^• cler¦gye maryeth not: he seeth no man vnmaried in all the realme but thē How many seruaūtys? How many tall seruynge men are there in the realm that myght yf men saw such a sodayn necessyte / rather ma¦ry then the clergy y^• haue vowed to god the contrary? But he forceth nott so mych for the mater that he maketh hys pretext / as he doth in dede to haue all vowes voyd / that he myght get Luther sum lewd companyons in England.

¶But now what yf thys good man had the rule of this mater / and wold put out all the clergy and byd them go wed? He shuld parad∣u••ture fynde some that wold not mych styk therat: but they shuld be of the worst sort / and such as now be sklaunder of theyr order / & whō yt were most nede to kepe fro generacyon / leste yuell crowes bringe you forthe yuer byrdys. But as for the good prestys & good relygy∣ouse whose chylderne were like to be best and to be best brought vp: they wolde not mary for breche of theyr vowes. And thus shulde ye haue the naughty generacyons encrease wherof there be to many all ready: and of the better neuer the mo.

¶What wold thys good mā do now wyth good folk of the clergy y^• wold not mary? He wold of lyklyhod bynde them to cart{is} and bete them and make them wed in the wanyand. But now what yf womē wyll not wed thē / namely syth he sendith thē out wyth ryght noght / sauynge slaunder / shame and vylanye? what remedy wyll he fynde therfore? He wyll of lyklyhod compell the women to wed theym: & yf the wēch be nyce and play the wanton and make the mater strāge then wyll he bete her to bed to.

¶Surely we can not but here cōfesse the trouth / these nyce and wā¦ton wordis do not very well with vs: but we must pray god and you to pardon vs. For in good fayth hys mater of monkys maryagys ys so mere and so mad / that yt were able to make one laugh that sieth in the fyre: & so mych the more / in how mych he more ernestly preacyth vppon the kyng in thys poynt / to haue in any wyse the clergy robbed spoylyd / boūden / beten and weddyd. Wherby what oppynyon he hath of weddyng / ye may sone parceyue: for ye se well that yf he thought yt good / he woulde not wyssh yt theym. ¶Many that rede hys

wordys / wene that he were some mery mad geste: but he seemeth vs farre otherwyse. For excepte he were a wonderouse sad mā of hym selfe / he coud neuer speke so ernestely in so mad a mater.

¶Yet one thīg wold we very fayn wyt of hym. Whē he had robbed spoyled / boūden / beten and wedded all the clergy / what wold he thē▪ Shuld eny of them be curatys of mennys soules and preche and my¦nyster the sacramentys to the people or nat?

¶If they shuld: yt were a very strange fassyon to robb hym / bynde hym / and bete hym on the tone daye: and then knele to hym / and con¦fesse to hym / and receyue the sacrament of hys hāde on y^• tother day / reuerently here hym preche in the pulpytte / and then bydde hym go gette hym home and clowte shone. Eyther he muste mene to haue yt thus / whyche none honeste mā coulde endure to se: or ellys of whych twayne we wote nere well whyther is the wurse / he entendeth to ha¦ue all holy orders accompted as nothynge / and to haue no mo sacra∣mentys mynystred at all: but where as sone after crystes ascencyon hys church buryed the ceremonyes of the iewes synagoge wyth ho∣nour and reuerence / so wold he now that crysten people shuld kyll & cast owte on a donge hyll the blessyd sacramentys of cryste wyth v••¦lany rebuke and shame. And surely to tell you y^• trouth / thys ys hys very fynall intent and purpose / and the very marke that he shoteth at / as a specyall poynt and foūdacyon of all Luthers heresyes wher¦of thys man ys one of the baner berers. And therfore here wold his awne hygh sore wordys haue good place agaynst hym selfe. For this myscheuouse deuyse of hys / ys in dede a great brode botomelesse oc∣cean see full of euyllys / wheryn wold not fayle the greuouse shyp∣wrake of the comen welth whych god wold sone forsake yf y^e people ones forsake hys fayth / and contempned hys holy sacramentys / as thys beggers proctour laboureth to brynge abowte. Whyche thynge hys deuyce and conueyaunce well declareth / all though he forbere expresly to saye so farre / bycause of the good•• & gracyouse catholyke mynde that he well knoweth and by hys gracys excellent wrytynge perceyueth to be borne by the kyng{is} hyghnes / to the catholyk fayth. For whyche he couereth hys malycyouse entēt and purpose toward the fayth / vnder y^• cloke of many temporall benefytes / that he sayth shuld succede and folow to the kyngys hyghnes and hys realme / yf these hys hygh polytyque deuyces were ones by hys grace agreed.

¶For in y^e ende of all hys byll: he gathereth hys high cōmoditees to¦gether / saynge that yf the kynge take all frome the clergye / sette thē abrode at the wyde world wyth ryght nought to wed & take wyues / and make theym labour for theyre lyuynge tyll they swete / bynde theym to cartes and bete theym well / he saythe to the kynge in y^e beg∣gers names: then shall as well the nombre of our forsayd mons••ru∣ouse

sort / as of the bawdes / hores / theuys / and idle people decreace. Then shall these great yerely exaccyons ceace / Thē shall not your sworde / power / crowne / dygnyte and obedyence of your people be translated frome you. Then shall you haue full obedyence of your people. Then shall the ydle people be set awork. Then shall matry¦mony be myche better kepte. Then shall the generacyon of your pe¦ople be encreased. Then shall your comēs encrease in ryches. Thē shall none take owre almoyse frome vs. Then shall the gospell be preached. Then shall we haue inough and more. Thē shalbe y^• beste hospytall that euer was founded for vs. Then shall we pray to god for your noble estate longe to endure.

¶Lo here here ye heped vp many great cōmodytees / yf they were all trew. But we shewed you byfore and haue also proued you / that hys byll ys myche grounded vppon many great lyes / wherof he by and by byganne wyth some and after went forth wyth mo. And now to thentent that thende shuld be somewhat surely to the remanaunte as he byganne wyth lyes and went forth wyth lyes / so wyll he with lyes lykewyse make an ende: sauyng that in the bygynnyng he gaue theym oute by tale / and in the ende he bryngeth theym in by hepes. For fyrst he sayth y^• then shall the nomber of sore and lyke beggers decreace. How so? shall there by the robbyng / weddyng / byndynge and betynge of the clergye•• blynde beggers gette theyre syght agayn or same beggers theyre legges? ys there no man in all the clergy syk and sore that shalbe by thys way sent vnto them? shold there not ma∣ny that now be in good helthe waxe shortely syk and sore / and sytte and begge wyth theym? were thys a mynyshement of syk and sore beggers to make mo and send to them?

¶Thē shall / he sayth•• bawd{is} / ••hores / theues / & ydle peple decre∣ce. Thys mā weneth he were cosyn to god / & coud do as he dyd: Di∣xit & facta sunt. For as sone as he hath dyuysed yt / nowe weneth he y^t yf they were all put owte & so serued by & by / thē were all forthwith in good order. As sone as he sayth lette theym wedde / nowe he we∣neth y^t forthwyth euery preeste monke & frere hath a wyfe. As sone as he hath sayd bind theym & bete thē to wurke / forthwyth he weneth euery man ys at hys wurke. And all thys he rekeneth sure ere euer he prouyde wurke for theym / or where they shall dwell / or who shall take so many to wurk at onys y^• neuer were wōte to wurke byfore / and thys where he seeth many walke ydle all redy / that eyther no be¦tyng can dryue to wurke / or ellys no man wyll take to wurke. Fyrste we trust that among the clergye there be many men of that goodnes and vertue / that scante a deuyll could fynde in hys harte to handle them in suche dyspytuouse and dyspyghtfull maner. But go to sette theyre honest lyuyng and vertue lye styll in questyon / yet at the leste

wyse he wyll graunte they be good or nought. Nowe then yf they be good: he ys to very a vylayn y^• wold sarue good men so. And on y^• to ther syde yf they be all as he wolde haue them all seme / vnthryfty / sewde / and nought: howe can yt be that by that reason of so many so noughty / so sodaynly sette owte at large / ye shuld haue bawdes / har¦lottys / theuys / & ydle people decreace? except he thynke that those whome he calleth nought all redy beynge as they nowe be kepte in / and in honest fassyō refrayned / & many kepte vp in cloysters / wylbe better ruled abrode runnyng at y^• wyld world as bukkys broken owt of a parke. Ouer thys howe can there by the maryagys of preestys / monkys / & fryres / be fewer hores and bawdys / whē by the very ma¦ryage yt self beynge as yt were incestuouse & abhomynable / all were starke harlottys that maryed them / and all stark bawdys that shuld helpe to bryng them to gether.

¶Thē shall he sayth / these great yerely exaccyōs ceace. How can such thyngys ceace as neuer yet byganne. Ye remēber what thyngys he calied exaccyons / the freres quarterage / whych he sayd that they exacte of euery household / and compell theym to pay yt vppon payn of heresye / beryng of a fagot or burnyng. Can he among so many as payeth yt not / lay you one sample y^• euer any sayd he was so serued thys seuen yere / thys .vii. score yere / thys .vii.C. yere? Can he saye y^t euer yt was exacted of hym selfe? We knowe where he dwelled / and that yf he had had none other cause to rūne away / surely for eny fere of freres y^• euer exacted of hym quarterage / he wold not haue bene afrayed to dwell by the beste of theyre berdes.

¶Then shall ydle folke he sayeth be sette a wurke. By what mea¦nys? whom hath he deuysed mo to sette ydle men a wurke? but yf he loke that ydle men shalbe sette a wurke by theym whome he sendeth owte of theyre awne housys wythout money or waxe / neyther he nor they wote whyther.

¶Then shall matrymony by myche better kepte. Why so? bycause there be mo men vnmaryed sent owt abrode to brek yt? Who (yf they be suche as he calleth theym) were (yf they wente all abrode) well lykely to breke many a nother mannys maryage ere they made all theyre awne.

¶Then shall the generacyon of your people be encreaced. Is that the greateste fawte he fyndeth the lak of generacyon? If he saw as farr as he wold seme to se / thē shuld be spyre y^t it were first more nede to prouyde houses to dwell in / wyth lande layde therto for tyllage: or ellys experyence techeth that there is generacyon ynough for y^e corne that the groūde bereth. And that thynge ones well {pro}uyded for / there wyll ynowe be founden to multyply more generacyon of suche as may laufully wedde ād wold wedde / yf they wyste where after wed¦dynge

theyre wyfe and theyre chyldren shuld dwell.

¶Then shall not your swerde / power / crowne / and dygnyte / and obedyence of your people / be taken frome you. Who hath taken yt away nowe? who hath hys sworde borne but hys hyghnes hym selfe or suche hys deputyes as he appoynteth yt vnto? his crowne no man wereth but hym selfe / as farre as euer any of vs herde. And yet yf hys hyghnes haue any crowned kyng{is} vnder hym / his swerd / power crown & dignyte / ys nothyng defaced nor mynysshed: but honowred & enhaunced by that. But all the myschefe ys that the spyrytuall court hath examynacyon of heretyques / thys ys all the gryefe. For as for obedyence of the kyngys people / hys hyghnes fyndeth none takē frō hym. Was there euer kynge in thys realm better obayd thē he? Hath his hyghnes of eny part of hys realm bene better obayd or more hū∣bly serued thē of hys clergy? Was there euer eny kynge in the realm that had hys crowne translated frome hym / bycause the clergye had landys geuē them / or bycause men gaue almoyse to the pore freres? in good fayth ye may truste vs we neuer knewe none suche. Whan y^• beggers proctour preueth any suche ye may then byleue hym: and in the meane tyme ye may well byleue he lyeth.

¶Then shall ye haue obedyēce of your people. yet agayn? Tyll he fynde in the kyngys realm some that dare dysobay hym / yt were not myche agaynst reason that harpynge so myche vppon that strynge / y^t euery mannys care perceyueth so false and so farre owte of tune: he shulde confesse hym selfe a fole.

¶Then shall your people encreace in rychesse. Wherfore y^• rather? Not one halfepeny for aught that he hath spokē yet / except he mean when he taketh the lande frome the clergye / then to dyuyde yt amōg the people and make a dole of the freres almoyse to. And yf he mean so: when he sayeth yt owte playnely then wyll we tell you what he meaneth more. But in the meane season to proue hym both false and folysshe / yt ys ynough to tell hym / that the people can not waxe rych by theyr cōmyng to them that are sent owte naked and bryng naught wyth theym.

¶Then shall none begge our almoyse frome vs. No parde / none but all they that ye wyll haue sent owte naked to you / whyche wolde be mo then ye wolde be gladde to se sytte and begge wyth you / and se thē ask your almoyse frō you y^• were wonte to gyue almoyse to you.

¶Then shall the gospell be preched. ye mary that that. There is y^• great mater that all thys gapyng ys for. For vndowtedly all the ga∣pynge ys for a new gospell. Men haue bene wonte thys many yeres to preche the gospell of criste in suche wyse as saynt Mathew / saynt Mark / saynt Luke / and saynt Ihān hath wrytē yt / and in such wyse as y^• old holy doctours saynt Hyero•••• / saynt Austyn / saint Ambrose

saynt Gregory / saynt Chrysostome / saynt Basyle / saynt Cypryan / saynt Barnerd / saynt Thomas / and all the olde holy faders synnis crystys dayes vntyll your awne dayes haue vnderstande yt. Thys gospell hath bene as we say alway thus preched. Why sayeth he now that yf y^e clergy were caste owte for nought / that then y^• gospell shold be prechyd. Who shuld then be these prechours? He meaneth not y^t y^e clergy shall / ye may se that well. Who than? Who but some ley Luthe¦ranes? And what gospell shall they preche? Not your old gospell of Cryste: for y^t is yt whych was wonte to be preched vnto you. And he wold ye shuld now thynk that the gospell shall begyn to be prechyd: and yet not begyn to be prechyd amōg you / tyll the clergy be cast out. What gospell shall that be than that shall then be prechyd? What gos¦pell but Luthers gospell and Tyndals gospell? tellyng you y^t onely fayth suffyseth you for saluacayn: and that there nedyth no good wor¦kys / but y^t yt were sacrylege and abhomynacyō to go about to please god wyth eny good workys: and that there ys no purgatory / nor that the sacramentys be nothyng worth / nor y^• no law can be made by mā to bynde you: but that by your onely fayth ye may do what ye wyll: & y^t yf ye obey any law or gouernour / all ys of your owne curtesye & not of eny duty at all: fayth hath set you in such a lewd lyberte.

¶Thys & many a mad frantyke foly shalbe the gospell y^t thē shall be prechyd / wherof he bosteth now as of one of the moste specyall cō¦modytees / that shall succede vppon hys goodly and godly deuyces.

¶Wyll ye playnly parceyue y^t he meaneth thus: After all hys mys∣cheuys rehersyd agaynst the church: he hathe an other matter in hys mynde / whych he dare not yet speke of / but he maketh therof a secret ouerture leuyng yt in such wyse at large / as he wold that men shulde gesse what he men / & yet he reseruyth hym self some refuge to flytte therfro when he lyst. For yf he shuld se that men shuld myslyke yt / he wold in such case say that he ment some other thyng. And therfore he purposeth yt vnder these wordys: Here leue we out y^• greatyst ma∣ter of all / lest we declaring such an horrible carrayn of euyll agaynst the mynysters of iniquyte / shuld seme to declare the one onely fawte or rather y^• ignoraūce of our best belouyd mynyster of ryghtuousnes. whych ys to be hyd tyll he may be lerned by these small enormytees y^• we haue spoken of / to know yt playnly hym selfe.

¶Thys thyng put forth lyke a rydle / harde to rede what yt shulde sygnyfye: we haue had synnys / by suche as we byfore shewed you y^• dyed and cam hyther / playnly declared vnto vs. And surely who so well aduyseth hys word{is} / and well pondereth hys hole purpose / and the summary effecte of his boke: shall mowe sone perceyue what he meaneth in that place. For what shuld that thyng be that he leueth out that shuld be the greatest of all / and that shuld be layed agaynste the

mynysters of inyquyte whych he meaneth and calleth y^• hole clergye and that shuld be such an horryble carayne of euyll / y^• yt shud passe & excede any myscheuouse matter that he had all redy spoken agaynste byfore? what maner of mycheuouse mater shuld thys be?

Thys horryble carrayn of yuell that he leuyth out / syth yt ys as he sayth the greatest mater of all•• must nedys ye wot well be greater a∣gaynst the clergy / than all that great brode botomelesse occean see of yuels: more than all hys These be theys: more than the makyng of such great nomber of beggars / of ydle men / bawdy / hoorys and the∣uys: more than the hyndryng of matrymony / corruptyng of generaci¦on: more than translatyng the kyngys kyngdom: more thā bryngyng the kyngys crown to ruyne: more than bryngyng the comen weale to shypwrak / and all the realm to wyldernes. What thyng can thys hor¦rible carrayn be that the clergy dothe / that he leueth out for a whyle / that so farre excedyth these mycheuouse maters before remembryd / that in comparyson of yt he calleth them all small enormytees / & as a man wold say lytle prety peccadulyans? Verely by thys thyng mea∣neth he none other / but the prechyng of the very hole corps and body of the blessed fayth of Cryste / & the mynystryng of the blyssed sacra¦ments of our sauyour Cryste / and of all those in especyall the conse¦cratyng of the sacred body the flesh and blood of our sauyour Cryst. For the techynh & prechyng of all whych thyngys / thys beggers {pro}c∣tour or rather the dyuels proctour wyth other beggers that lak grace and nether beg nor loke for none: bere all thys theyr malyce & wrathe to the churche of Cryste. And seynge there ys no way for attaynyng theyr entēt but one of the twayn / y^t ys to wyt eyther playnly to wryte agaynst the fayth and the sacramentys (wheryn yf they gat them cre¦dēce and obtaynyd / they then se well the church must nedys fall ther∣wyth•• or els to labour agaynst the church alone / & get the clergye dys¦troyd / wheruppon they parceyue well that the sayth and sacrament{is} wold not fayle to decay: they parce yuyng thys / haue therfore furste assayd the furst way all redy / sendyng forth Tyndals trāslacyon of the new testament in such wyse hādled as yt shuld haue bene the foū¦tayn and well spryng of all theyr hole heresyes. For he had corrupted and purposely chāged in many placys the text / wyth such wordys as he myght make yt seme to the vnlerned people / that the scryputre af¦fyrmed theyr heresyes it selfe. Then cam sone after out in prynt the dyaloge of frere Roy & frere Hyerome / betwene y^• father & y^• sonne agaynst y^• sacrament of y^• aulter: & the blasphemouse boke entytled the beryeng of the mas••e. Then cam forth after Tyndals wykkyd boke of Māmona / & after that his more wykkyd boke of obydyence. In whych bokys afore specyfyed they go forth playnly agaynst the fayth and holy sacraments of Crystys church / and most especyally

agaynst the blyssed sacrament of y^• aulter / wyth as vylanous word{is} as the wreches coud deuyse. But whē they haue {per}ceuyd by ex{per}yēce y^t good people abhorred theyr abomynable bok{is}: thē they beyng ther∣by lernyd y^t the furst way was not y^• best for y^• furtherance of theyr purpose / haue now determined thē selfe to assay the secūde way / that ys to wytte y^• forberynge to wryte so openly and dyrectely agaynste all the fayth & the sacramētys as good crysten men coulde not abyde the redyng / they wolde / wyth lyttell towchyng of theyre other here∣syes / make one boke specially agaynst y^• church & loke how that wold proue. Whyche yf yt succede after theyre appetytys that they myght wyth false crymes sayd vnto some / or wyth the very fawtis of some brynge the hole churche in hatered and haue the clergye dystroyed: thē shuld they more esely wynne theyre purpose that waye. For whē the prechours of the fayth and very gospell were dystroyed or farre owte of credence wyth y^• people / then shulde they haue theyre awne false gospellys preched / as ye may perceyue that thys man meaneth where he sayth y^• thē shall the gospell be preched. And therfore thys ys the thynge whych thys man as yet leueth owt agaynst thē / that is to wytte the prechyng of the ryght fayth and the sacramētys / whych thynge he rekeneth in the clergye a more horryble carayn / thē all the crymes wheryn he hath bylyed them byfore: And therfore sayth he y^t he leueth yt owte / leste he shulde seme to declare the one and onely fawt of the kyngis hyghnes. Whych one onely fawte he meaneth his gracys moste famouse and most gracyouse boke / that hys hyghnes as a prynce of excellent crudycyon / vertue / and deuocyon toward y^• catholyke fayth of cryst / made of thassercyon of the sacramentys a∣gaynst y^• furyouse boke of Marthin Luther. Thys godly dede done by hys hyghnes / wyth thacceptacyō of hys godly well deserued ty∣tle of defensoure of the fayth gyuē his grace by the see apostolyque / thys calleth thys beggers proctoure the kyngys one and onely fawt and ignorance of theyre false fayth in estymacyon of these herety∣ques / whych this beggers proctour sayth that he wyll for the whyle hyde and couer vnder hys cloke of sylence / tyll the kynge may by these enormytyes where wyth he bylyeth the churche in hys beggers byll (wyche enormytyes he calleth smale enormyties in comparyson of the prechyng of the catholyke fayth and the sacramentys) be ler∣ned. What lesson trow ye? None other surely / but that they hope that as well hys hyghnes as hys peple / may by suche beggers byllys be fyrste alured and brought in / to cōtemne / hate and dystroye y^• church: and then therby lerne the tother lesson whych he now leueth owte for the whyle / that ys to wytte to sette at nought the catholyque fayth and all the blessyd sacramentys / after the techyng of Luthers and Tyndallys gospell. And therfore sayth he as we tolde you by∣far /

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that then shall the gospell be preched.

¶And in the mene tyme y^• mā vseth as he weneth hym self to ward y^• kyngys grace a very wyse fassyon of flatery / callynge hym theyre best belouyd mynyster of ryghtuousnes: yet be they not onely ronne away for fere of the ryghtuousnes of theyr best belouyd mynister of ryghtuousnes / but also wold yt shuld seme y^t his hyghnes were such a mynyster of ryghtuousnes / as eyther set so lyttel by ryghtuousnes that he wold wyttyngly suffer / or els had so lytyll insyght in ryghtu¦ousnes that he coud not parceyue / so great a mater and such an horry¦ble carrayn of yuell commyttyd by the church / as were so heynouse / so houge and so great: that in comparyson therof / the translatyng of hys kyngdome / the ruyne of hys crown / the shypwrak of hys comen w••ale / the dyspeplyng of hys realm / and bryngyng all hys land in to desolacyon and wyldernes: were but sleyght maters and small enor¦mytees. And that hys hyghenes shuld towarde thys great horrible a intollerable myscheuouse demeanu••e of the church / be ayding and as¦systent eyther of yuell mynde or of ygnoraunce / tyll that by theyr beg¦garly byll beyng torned into the hatred & the dystruccyon of y^• church he myght thereby be illumynyd to lerne and parceyue that the faythe whych hys grace had before both lernyd & taughte / and wherof hym self ys the deffensor / ys false and faynyd: and if at the sacrament{is} be but m••nnys inuencyons / and that theruppon he shuld be contente to lern the gospel of Luther and the testament of Tyndale. And thus ye may se what the beggars {pro}ctour ment by his pro{per} inuētyd rydle / by whych as ye se vnder a fond face of flatery he vseth towarde his prince and souerayn lord•• ••whose maieste both by the law of god & the dutye of hys allegyaunce he were hyghely bounden to reuerence) an open playn dyspyte and contumely.

¶Now to thentent y^t ye may yet farther parceyue and se y^• they by the dystruccyon of the clergy / meane the clere abolycyon of Crystys fayth: yt may lyke you to conferre and compare to gether .ii. placis of hys beggars byll. In one place after that he hath heped vp to gether all hys lyes agaynst the hole clergy / & therto adioyned hys greuouse exclamacyon: Oh y^• greuouse shypwrak of the comē weale: he sayth that in aūcyent tyme before the comyng of the clergy / there were but few pore people & yet they dyd not beg / but there was gyuen them y¦nogh vnasked / because at y^t tyme he sayth there was no clergy (whō he calleth alway rauenouse woluys) to ask yt fro thē: and thys sayth he appereth in y^• boke of the actys of y^• apostles. In this place we let passe hys threfold foly. One that he wold by that there were no beg∣gars in one place / proue therby that there were none in all y^• worlde besyde. For as he for lakke of wyt and vnderstandyng mystaketh the booke / he weneth that there were none that beggyd in Hyerusalem.

whych yf yt were trew / yet myghte there be ynow in other placys.

A nother of hys folyes is in that he alledgeth a boke for hym that no thyng proueth hys purpose. For in all that hole boke shall he neyther fynde that there was at that tyme few pore peple / nor y^t pore peple at that tyme begged not. Far of trouthe there were pore people and beg¦gers / ydle people / and theues to / good plenty bothe then and all way byfore / synnes almoste as longe as Noes flode / and yet peraduen∣ture seuen yere afore that to. And so were there in dede in Heyrusalē also amonge theym all / tyll crystendome came in / and yet remayned then amonge such peple there as tourned not to the fayth of Cryst. The thyrde foly ys / he layeth that boke for hym whyche in dede pre¦ueth playne agaynst hym. For where he sayeth yt appereth there that the clergy was not then come / we can not in y^• worlde deuyse of what people he speketh Paynyms / Iewes / or crysten men. If he meane amonge Paynyms / hys folye and hys falsehed both ys to euydent. For who knoweth not that amonge the Paynyms they had aL way theyre preestys / whose lyuynge was well and plentuously prouyded for / as ye may perceyue not onely by many other storyes / but also by many places in the byble / and specyally in the .xlvii. chapyter of gene¦sys. If he speke of the Iewes / euery mā woteth well that they had a clergy thousand{is} of yeres bifore the boke that he alledgeth / & theyr lyuynge farre more largely prouyded for / then eny parte of y^e people bysyde / and that by goddys awne ordynaunce. Now yf he speke of y^• crysten people that was at that tyme in Hierusalem where y^• fayeth byganne / hys boke maketh sore agaynst hym. For there was a clergy as sone as there was eny chrysten peple. For the clergy byganne thē. And that clergye had not a parte of the crysten peples substaūce / but had yt all to gether / and dyd dystrybute yt as they sawe nede / whych no man dowteth but that the partyes shewed theym / or ellys in some nedys they must nedys haue laked. So that here were many pore mē yf they be pore that haue naught left / & all they beggers / yf they be beggers that be fayne to shew theyr nede and aske / and y^• clergy had all to gyther. And yet layeth this wyse mā thys boke for hym / beyng suche as yf he shulde haue sytten and studyed therfore / he could not haue founden a boke that made more agaynst hym.

¶But as we sayed byfore / we shall lette hys false foly passe / and praye you to cōsyder what he wold haue you byleue. He sayeth and wold ye shuld wene that there were few pore folke / and no beggers no where byfore y^• clergy of crystēdom cā in / but that all y^• pouerte & beggary cā in to y^• world wyth the cristē clergy. Now knoweth euery man y^• the crysten clergy & the crysten fayth / cam in to the crysten peo¦ple to gether / so that in effecte hys wordys way to thys y^• all pouerte and beggary came in to the worlde wyth the crysten fayth.

¶Sette nowe to thys place the tother place of hys in the ende and conclusyon of hys boke / where he sayth that after the clergy spoylyd onys and cast out / then shall the gospell be preched / and thē shall we beggars haue ynough & more: lo lyke as in the tone place he sheweth that all begary cam in wyth y^• clergy y^t brought in y^e fayth / so sheweth be in the tother that there shuld wyth the clergy all beggary go forth agayn / yf they were so clene cast out that Cristys gospell beyng cast out wyth them / and the fayth whych cam in wyth them / they myghte haue that gospell prechid as they say they shulde and as in dede they shuld whych they call the gospell / that is to wit Luthers gospell and Tyndallys testament / prechynge the dystruccyon of Crystys very fayth & hys holy sacrament{is} / auauncyng & settyng forth all boldenes of synne & wrechydnes / and vnder the false name of crystē fredome / spurryng forward the dyuylysh vnbrydeled appetyte of lewd sedy∣cyouse and rebellyouse lyberte / that slew in one somer as we shewed you before aboue .lx.M. of y^• pore vplādysh Lutheranis in Almayn. And thys ys all that these heretykys loke for as the frute of theyr se dycyouse bokys and beggars byllys / trustyng by some such ways to be eased of theyr beggary / whych they now sustayn beyng ronne oute of the realm for heresy. For yf they might as they fayn wold•• haue y^e clergy cast out / and Crystys gospell cast of / and theyr owne gospell preched: thē hope they to fynde that word trew where he sayth: then shall we haue ynough and more.

¶For of all that euer he hath sayd / he hath not almost sayd one trew word saue thys. And surely this word wold after theyr gospell onys prechyd & receyuyd be foūden ouer trew. For thē shuld the beggers / nat such beggars as he semeth to speke for that be syk sore and lame / but such bold presumptuouse beggars as he ys in dede / hole & strong in body but weke & syk in soule / y^t haue theyr bodys clene fro skabbys and theyr soulys foule infect wyth vgly great pokkys & leprye: these beggars wold hope to haue & except good men take good hede wolde not fayle to haue ynough and a great deale more. For after that they myght the clergy furst dystroyd bryng in onys after y^t the prechyng of Luthers gospell and Tyndals testament / and myght wyth theyr herysyes and fals fayth infect and corrupt the people / causyng them to set the blyssed sacrament{is} asyde / to set holy days and fastyng days at yought / to contemne all good workys / to gest & rayle agaynst holy vowed castyte / to blaspheme the olde holy fathers and doctours of Cristys church / to mok and scorne the blyssed sayntys and martyrs y^• dyed for Crystys fayth / to reiect and refuse y^• fayth that those holy martyrys lyued and dyed for / and in the stede of y^• true fayth of cryst contynued thys .xv.C. yeres / to take nowe the false fayth of a fond frere / of olde condemnyd and of new reforgyd wythyn so few days

wyth contempte of god and all good men / and obstynate rebellyouse mynde agaynst all lawes rule and gouernaunce / wyth arrogante pre¦sumpcyon to medle wyth euery mannys substaunce / wyth euery mā¦nys lande / and euery mannys mater nothynge partaynynge to them: yt ys we say no dowte / but that suche bolde presumptuouse beggers wyll / yf ye loke not well to theyre hand{is} / not fayle to haue as he wry¦teth ynough and more to. For they shall gather to gyder at laste / and assemble theym selfes in plumpes and in great rowtes / and from as∣kynge fall to the takynge of theyre almoyse theym selfe / and vnder pretexte of reformacyon (berynge euery man that aught hath / in han¦de that he hath to myche) shall assay to make newe dyuysyon of euery mannys lande and substaunce: neuer ceacynge yf ye suffer theym / tyll they make all beggers as they be theym selfe / and at laste bryng all the realme to ruyne / and thys not wythout bochery and fowle blo¦dy handys.

¶And therfore this beggers proctour or rather the proctour of hell shuld haue concluded hys supplycacyon not vnder the maner that he hath done / that after the clergye caste owte / thā shall the gospell be preched: then shall beggers and bawdys decreace: thē shall ydle folk and theuys be fewer: then shall the realme encreace in rychesse and so forth. But he shuld haue sayed: After that the clergye ys thus de∣stroyed and caste owt / then shall Luthers gospell come in / then shall Tyndallys testament be taken vp: Thē shall false heresyes be pre¦ched: Thē shall y^e sacrament{is} be sett ate nough: Thē shall fastyng & prayour be neglected: Thē shall holy saynt{is} be blasphemed: Then shall almyghty god be dyspleased: Then shall he wythdrade hys grace and lette all rūne to ruyne: Then shall all vertue be hadde in derysy••n: Then shall all vyce reygne and runne forth vnbrydeled: Then shall youth leue labour and all occupacyon: Then shall folk waxe ydle and fall to vnthryftynesse: Then shall horys and theuys beggers and bawdys encreace: Thē shall vnthryftys flok togyder and swarme abowte and eche bere hym bolde of other: Then shall all lawes be laughed to scorne: Then shall the seruaunt{is} set nought by theyre maysters / and vnruly people rebelle agaynst theyr rulers: Then wyll ryse vp ryflyng and robbery / murder and myscheyfe / & playn insurreccyon / wherof what wold be thende or when you shuld se yt / onely god knoweth. All whych myschyefe may yet be wythstā¦den easely and wyth godd{is} grace so shall yt / yf ye suffer no such bold beggers to seduce you wyth sedycyouse byllys. But well {per}ceyuyng that theyre malycyouse purpose ys to brynge you to destruccyon / ye lyke good crystē people auoydyng theyre false traynes and grynn{is} / geue none eare to theyre heynowse heresyes / nor walke theyr sedycy∣ouse wayes. But perseueryng in your olde fayth of criste / and obser¦uyng

hys lawes wyth good and godly warkis and obedyēce of your moste gracyouse kyng and gouernour / go forth in goodnesse and ver¦tue / whereby ye can not fayle to flowre and prospere in ryches and worldely substaunce: whyche well employed wyth helpe of goddys grace abowte cherytable dedes to the nedy / and the rather in remem¦braūce and relyefe of vs / whose nede ys relyued by you charyte she¦wed for our sake to your neyghboure / be able to purchace you myche pardon of the bytter payn of thys paynfull place / and bryng you to y^t ioyefull blesse / to whyche god hath wyth hys blessyd blode bought you and wyth hys holy sacramentys enseygned you. And thus wyll we leue the mannys malycyouse foly / tēdyng to the dystruccyō fyrst of the clergye and after of your selfe / wheryn hys madde rekenynge hath constrayned vs to trouble you with meny tryfles god wote full vnmete for vs: and nowe wyll we tourne vs to the treatyng of that one poynte / whyche thoughe yt specyally perteyneth to our selfe / yet mych more specyally {per}teyneth yt vnto you: y^t ys to wytte the impug∣nacyon of that vncherytable heresye wherwhyth he wolde make you to owre great harme and mych more your awne / byleue that we nede none ••elpe and that there were no purgatory.

¶The ende of the fyrst boke∴